Angel Eyes
by Liz's Dystopia
Summary: Criss Angel story. What happens when you start to fall for a girl that is still technically in a relationship? What happens when the girl's boyfriend abuses and torments her? What happens when you become her way of escape? Just ask Criss Angel....
1. The Bus Ride Home

**Angel Eyes**

**Dedications**:

_Although a fictional, fan-based story, this one of mine does have dedications to it, including a very special one to all women and girls out there who know the pain and the emotions that you endure through abusive relationships. There is an escape, know that, you just have to find it. My second dedications are for my good friends, Ashley and Brendalyn, who, unfortunately, are enduring hard times and crisis at such young ages, and I hope that they will find a way to overcome them and change their lives around. My last dedication is a poem to my sweet little sister, Alexis:_

_A lullaby that sings your name_

_Sweet innocence that never fades_

_Hold on tight, don't let go_

_Or else it won't be there no more_

_Sweet child, hold your breath_

_And take a second to relax_

_The world you see is not real_

_Nor is it fantasy_

_Take time to know who you are_

_And think of who you want to be_

_Or else, when life comes_

_You will not be able to see_

_The wishes, the dreams_

_Will no longer be there_

_So take time, my child_

_While you are still here….

* * *

_Chapter I: The Bus Ride Home

The bus ride home always seemed to bore her just a little. A thirty-five minute ride from point A to point B would always make someone tired and weary just a little. It didn't mean that she hated riding the bus…in fact, she was just indifferent about it. It was something she had to do everyday in order to get home from college. She didn't expect this ride to be any different from the rest of the other four-hundred rides that she's taken or more than that in the past three years. She leaned back in her green run-down seat, trying to block out from her mind the possible thoughts of whatever had happened or whatever existed on the seat that was beneath her worn, torn-hem jeans. She reached into the pocket of her black sweater vest, grasping her thin black MP3 player only to turn the volume up on her music. Sweet rock music seemed to fill her ears, and she grinned rather victoriously from the sound of one of her favorite songs playing in her ears—"_Dead Bodies Everywhere_" by Korn.

_"I don't understand why you still listen to that shit. You're just like your father."_

_Yes, well, last time I checked, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing_, she thought arrogantly to herself. Her mother never approved of her taste in music, nor did she approve of her similarities to her father. She only ignored all the sly, insulting, offensive comments that her mother seemed to crack about her father. Ever since three years ago, she had learned to ignore practically everything that her mother said. It wasn't like her mother ever said anything important anymore.

She opened her eyes and looked out at the streets passing by, the roads that seemed to mix with the falling blur of the rain that pored over on the roving bus. It was so natural to see rain here in the city, it was always gloomy and dark. It was like some depressing masterpiece having been written to life through a rather dismal poem by Edgar Allen Poe. She always saw the world through the eyes of an artist, through the eyes of a tragic, indifferent, yet somehow talented artist. She saw the world, she saw life, through the mind of herself, the "_depressed_" and "_distant_" shadow along the walls. She saw the world, she saw life of man…she saw nothing more than a mirror of her own sad and angst life through her own sad, discouraging, miserable gray eyes.

_"You have such pretty eyes. It's like looking at the rain. It's so pretty."_

_I thought the rain was supposed to be heartbreaking, not pretty_, she thought to herself, trying to remember the words of her adorable little cousin, Sophia. Little Sophia…_Pretty Sophie_, she had adopted that nickname for her after having read the "_Da Vinci Code_" when Sophia was only two. It just seemed to stick with the little girl, it seemed to work, and she never called her anything else but Pretty Sophie. That name seemed to fit the little girl best, it seemed to work almost too perfectly.

She pulled out her wallet from the back pocket of her jeans and opened it up to see a picture shielded from her fingertips behind a sheet of plastic. A little girl was smiling back up at her, her long, straight ebony hair framing her face in an elegant sheet of satin, her pale face seemed to be glowing magnificently with joy and innocence, her green eyes sparkling with the grace that only few women in their family seemed to possess, and only then did they possess it when they turned towards their adulthood. Pretty Sophie…she loved her so.

Sophia was her only treasure. They weren't really related, just a slight of blood through their mothers. Yet Sophia seemed to be the most important thing to her, more important than her own life. After three years ago, there was no question as to who was important anymore, who she saw as a treasure. After three years ago, Sophia seemed to be the only person in her heart at the moment, the only person that she carried around in the torn-at-the-seams leather pouch. Smiling rather darkly, she folded her wallet back up and stuffed it in her back pocket again, thrumming her fingers along the cold silver chain just before hiding it under her black sweater vest.

The bus rolled to a somewhat hesitant stop on Third Avenue, and she sighed as she watched people board off and on the vehicle. She closed her eyes for a moment, tilting her head back in order to relax. She felt the bus give a small growl from within its Hell-like bowels before it started moving again. She knew that it had to make two more stops before it finally came to its final destination—six blocks from her house. She turned her head back to the outside, watching the rain fall as another hard-rock song came blaring to her ears.

It was a moment. Only a moment. The bus had not even started towards to make its left turn onto Saints Street before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned just to see a man standing over her, his dark hair falling over his dark brown eyes, which seemed to be accentuated by the shadows cast by his locks and baseball cap. He wore upon his person a heavy leather jacket and dark tight jeans that only stretched out to fit his worn boots. Her eyes lingered a little down along his neck to the multiple chains that wrapped tightly around his throat, but they came back up to find his lips, reading them slowly through the pounding music in her ear. She had learned to read lips years ago.

_"Would you mind?"_

She shook her head, grabbing her black and hot pink checkered backpack that was weighed down by her five ten-pound books from the seat beside her and pulling it into her lap, throwing her gray eyes back out the window beside her—her hand grazed the cold glass softly just out of curiosity.

Time seemed to pass too slowly at the moment, she literally could see people on the streets walking faster than what the bus was moving. She blinked for only a moment, and realized that the streets were crowded with hesitating cars and vehicles, all trying to avoid slipping and swerving on the soaked asphalt. _Just great, now I'm stuck in traffic_.

It was probably one of the most awkward moments ever, to be stuck in traffic. However, nothing was more awkward than when she turned around to face the aisle beside her to see the man that was sitting beside her lean over her in order to look out the window at the crazed and insane traffic plaguing in the streets. She sat back in her seat, a faint blush crawling up her face in a burning sensation as she had never been this close to any man before. The music still pounding in her ears, her gray eyes lingered down along his neck to see a couple of his chains fall out of his jacket. She saw a collection of handcuffs bound together along the chain, a beautiful railed crucifix swinging along the arch of the chain. She eyed the necklace for a moment, having been curious as to what kind of jewelry a man of this appearance would wear, but her eyes came back when she saw his lips move. She quickly read what he was muttering to himself.

_"Looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while."_

She closed her eyes, feeling her pounding heart rise up to her ears and deafening her music. She held her breath, preventing herself from moving, but she felt something graze her hand lightly, only lightly, to leave a warm sensation across it. She opened her eyes only to see him sit back, completely oblivious to the fact she was there. Why was she acting like such a ridiculous child?

She decided to busy herself by turning the volume up on her music and blaring herself out with the sweet sounds of Within Temptation. She pulled her backpack close to her chest, digging her right hand into it in order to pull out the book she had to read for her class at the college, her Creative Writing class. _"Pride and Prejudice,"_ although she had read this book twice before in her lifetime, she somehow was still found in the same situation she had been when she was forced to read it the first time. Her professor had been lecturing for a while about the creative mind that many writers had, and that it would be somehow fascinating if each student in the class chose a work of literature to read and try to interpret what the authors were trying to envision when they wrote the novel. Unfortunately for her, the incredible masterpiece of "_Daughters of Eve_" was already taken, so she was stuck reading "_Pride and Prejudice_" for the third time in her life. To her, it was an interesting novel, but it just seemed to go nowhere with her. She enjoyed it, but she didn't love it.

Pretty soon, the world around her seemed to disappear as she delved deeper and deeper into the eighth chapter, feeling a sense of imagination surround her and take hold of her. The music that was blaring into her ears seemed to drown out into nothingness, the aisles and green seats of the bus seemed to blur away, and she was lost within the creative world of Jane Austen. She had even somehow forgotten that this strange man was sitting next to her. He seemed to have disappeared behind a sheet of her long hair. It wasn't until she started feeling the bus move a little quicker under her that she looked up from her book towards the window, and she saw the streets once again rolling by, disappearing into a stately blur of water and lights. She smiled a little at the fact that the bus was at last moving.

She felt something move beside her, and she turned her head only slightly to see that the man was peering at her from the corner of his eyes, but not at her...at her book. She sighed a little, not in the feeling to actually look at him, and she folded her book up close and put it back in her bag. She wasn't bothered by it, but she knew that once the bus stopped at her destination, she wouldn't have time to recollect her belongings back into her bag and leave. Once the bus stopped, she would only have a minute or so to depart from it. She brought her bag up to her chest, and felt a sense of shyness swim over her, a feeling that a new girl at school would feel after having been transferred either across town or to another city. She usually spent her bus rides home alone and kept to herself, but for some reason this sensation of crawling out of the darkness and speaking to this stranger kept prodding itself at her frontal lobe from the back, antagonizing and invoking her. However, it seemed that she had waited far too long because she saw the man's mouth move from behind her curtain of hair. She tilted her head back and looked up at him, reading his lips as she did.

_"Can I show you something?"_

Her heart seemed to pound louder in her head, drowning out the aggravating sounds of her music. As the man slipped his leather jacket off, her hand slipped into her pocket, unnoticed from behind her bag, only to shut off the MP3 player that was blasting into her eardrums. She kept her mouth shut, but was curious as to where this moment was going. He pulled out from his pocket a pack of cards—the classic spades, clovers, hearts, diamonds pack—and he began shuffling them. She knew this was a classic, amateur magic trick, but the child inside herself kept her watching his hands as he shuffled the deck in front of her. She looked back up to his face when he stopped, and that smile crossing his lips was cocky, cunning, and somewhat arrogant.

"Pick a card from the deck," he demanded of her, and she listened closely to his voice…it was somehow familiar. She slipped her fingers between the deck and pulled a face-down card out between her nails. She then brought her eyes back up to his. That arrogant grin was actually starting to look a little more attractive.

"Don't look at it, I want you to hold on to it," he told her, but then he put the deck back into his pocket, but instead pulled out a black permanent marker. He turned his eyes back onto her, and they seemed to lock immediately, as if trying to see into those windows towards her mind and soul.

"I want you to look at that card and memorize it, alright?"

She obeyed and stared down at the card, memorizing the suite, the kind of card that it was. When she was done, she looked back up into his face, and then his smile widened. He started marking something across his left palm with the marker, and as he wrote, she kept the card close to her chest, wondering if he had seen what she had. He continued to mark himself until he closed up his fist, and showed his wrist to her.

"Watch."

She kept her eyes on his wrist, wondering what he was doing. However, she became completely disgusted as she saw something move from his clenched fingers under his skin. It was like there was something hidden under the skin, something that was moving, crawling towards his veins. He closed his eyes, sighing as if from pain, and the object continued to move under his skin, crawling from his veins towards his forearm, and then towards the crook of his arm. She felt her stomach churn painfully as she heard him hiss in pain, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the moving thing under his skin. It stretched and crawled, moving a little slower under the arch, but still clearly visible under the skin. She actually felt a sensation of vomit coming over her, but she choked it down as she watched the object slime under the arch and into the muscle of his bicep. However, it disappeared quickly under the sleeve of his shirt, but she could still make out the silhouette of it under the cloth. She watched the silhouette move disgustingly up his arm and over his shoulder, and then it seemed to disappear completely.

She backed up violently into the window when she heard him gag on something. His face went pale and his eyes seemed to widen as fear coursed through them. He lurched over and began choking, coughing, and gagging. His hands wrapped around his throat, and her heart started pounding rapidly in fear that he might die in front of her. He began choking and a retched sound escaped his lips. It wasn't until she saw something protrude from between his lips that her mind just went completely blank, knowing that he wasn't really choking. He stopped heaving enough to pull the object out of his mouth just to show her that what had come out of his throat was a folded piece of paper. She wrapped her hands around her mouth—now she was the one about to vomit.

He unfolded the paper before her until she could make out a black spade, a "K", and the second spade at the bottom of the paper. It was her card. A King of Spades. Her heart was pounding in her head, her body grew numb, and the man continued to grin at her mischievously.

"Is that your card?"

_Oh holy shit!_ Her eyes tilted a little to the back of her head, but she shook her head awake, knowing now was not the time to faint from surprise and horror. He continued to watch her, as if waiting for her to succumb to those sensations of fear and shock that seemed to be surging through her limbs. She bit her lip, trying to regain that composure she at one time had, but she couldn't get over her shock of it. She could only nod in submission, handing him his card, watching that clever grin cross his face. He put the card in his pocket, and he looked out the window at the traffic passing by. She turned her head away, feeling ill after that trick, and it seemed like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders—and mind—when the bus rolled to its last stop with her on it. Casting the stranger a last look before she stood up, swung her bag over her shoulder—the heavy books hit her shoulder blades violently—and then walked through the aisle towards the bus' steps. Waving goodbye to the driver, she hopped onto the still and solid ground and heard the doors close behind her. For some unknown reason, she turned back to the bus only to see it drive past her, but she caught a glimpse of the man staring out the window at her.

The light gleamed off of something he held in his hand…a pendant of some kind, an A in a circle. It gleamed off of the dim light of the day before it disappeared and the bus rolled away down the corner. She turned from the bus stop and walked down the opposite direction of the street, knowing that she was going to endure sick and gross nightmares tonight.


	2. Home Is The Safest Place In The World?

_(A/N: This is a mature chapter, one that might not be suitable for anyone that has a weak stomach. Remember, this is a mature story, so don't be surprised.)_

Chapter II: Home Is The Safest Place In The World, Right?

"Allison, you're home!"

It was like a wave of comfort and love had washed over her as she stepped into the apartment complex, hearing the sweet and innocent voice that seemed to follow her into her dreams—the only source of comfort and love that has ever existed for her in the past three years. Her gray eyes found the child sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room, her long straight black hair falling in graceful strands like a frame to her beautiful snow white face, her innocent emerald green eyes smiling at her—the eyes that seemed to be the only form of love that has ever embraced her. The smile that crossed the little girl's lips seemed to be the warmest thing she had ever seen, and she watched almost submissively as the child rose to her feet and ran towards her. She leaned down to the child's height with arms open and scooped her into her arms. The child felt warm and sweet in her clasp, forcing her to develop amnesia of the events that had passed on the bus. The warmth that seemed to fill her hands…her arms…her heart seemed to wash and drown everything away, cleansing her of the cruel and ironic reality that always seems to plague her. However, that sad and twisted sense of reality came crashing into her like the planes of 9/11, bringing to her heart a feeling of dread and fear when she heard the familiar face cross her ears.

"Hey there, beautiful."

Her gray eyes tilted up to see a figure standing from the couch and approaching her and the child. Her heart pounded violently when she saw the unwelcoming familiar face that had always seemed to follow her and torture her for as long as she has known it. The familiar dark skin of a natural, full-blood Latin man, the known dark hair that always ran in the Spanish genetics that coursed through his blood, and his eyes…the dark, cold, haunting eyes that never gave her warmth, never gave her comfort, but only brought about horror and the tormenting thoughts of them being the last she ever has. This was the face of her supposed lover, the man whom she had thought would be her escape from reality, but only brought about more sadness and oppression that only reality could provide.

"Julian…did you pick Sophia up from school?" she stood back up to face the man, who only grinned at her with his answer. "You didn't have to. She usually has Melissa or Sam pick her up."

"Well, Sam wasn't home and I don't know what happened to Melissa. Besides, I was hoping to surprise you when you got home. I thought you would be happy to see me, Alli," he told her, but there was a look in his dark eyes that made her shiver and made that memorable chill run through her.

"I am, but you didn't have to do it—" she hushed her words when she saw the look in his eyes, one that was indescribable and made her wish that Sophia was not in the room with them. She turned to the child beside her, gently stroking her hair and smiling, creating a known mask of happiness and love, just to conceal and deceive all of the true emotions rising up inside of her.

"Pretty Sophie, could you go to your room for a moment. I'll prepare your afternoon snack, but I want you to get a head-jump on your homework," she told her. Sophia smiled sweetly, and she obeyed, walking into the hallway and disappearing into one of the three rooms that were provided to the apartment complex. As soon as she knew that the child was in her room, she walked past Julian and went into the kitchen to create Sophia's favorite snack, a peanut butter and banana sandwich—which she was responsible for getting her addicted to. She knew, however, that he had followed her.

"You know, I've been thinking about you all day," Julian came up behind her and brushed back the strawberry blond strands that covered her left ear just so he could whisper suggestive, burning acid words into her head. She bit her lip, resisting any rising responses, knowing that if she said even the wrong word, she will end up feeling and enduring more pain than she had ever meant to give to anyone else. She opened up the cabinet above her head and pulled down a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of sliced bread, and then she had to push past him in order to get to the refrigerator in order to pull out one ripe and yellow fruit that many people can easily identify chimps and primates feasting on—with the way Sophia eats them, she might as well be a primate.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?" Julian's voice had become harsher, sharper, and almost threatening. She needed to answer him, and quickly.

"Yes, I heard you. I'm sorry, my mind's elsewhere," she quickly confessed, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way or misinterpret her. He looked at her suspiciously, his eyes wandering over her body, inspecting every bit of her body language while she tried to make her little cousin an afternoon snack.

"Really? I hope you're thinking about me, and only me," he closed the gap between the two of them, but she backed even further away from him into the counter—not a good idea, as it left her no way of escape. An escape…that was all she needed.

"Well, of course, you're on my mind, but you're not the only thing. I mean, I'm worried about school, I'm worried about Sophia, I'm worried about everything," Alli told him, trying to shrug off his suggestive touch and brushes against her body. He wasn't going to give up, though, he was going to keep bothering her and provoking her just to get his way. He always seemed to get his way, and this time…there was no one around to save her.

"Maybe I should take some of that stress off, then. How about it, Alli?"

It was the worst feeling in the world for her, a forbidden feeling that, despite the fact it has happened plenty of times before, made her unstable and violated in the worst possible way. His hand was on her thigh, crawling up towards her hips, but it was lingering further to between her limbs. She moaned out of fear and hate—she knew that he was going to get his way no matter what she did.

"Please stop, not now," she pleaded to him, but he didn't hear her. He leaned closer into her, whispering almost threateningly into her ears.

"Come on, baby, I know you want it. I've been dying to have you for so long. Why don't we get it over with and done right here and now?" He grabbed her leg with such a force, it seemed to reanimate the pain of the bruise that had existed on her limb from the moment she received it. She cried out in pain, trying to push his hand away. He was stronger than her, though, and seemed to command control over her. He grinned maliciously as he spun her on the spot to face him, and she saw within those dark eyes of his the hungry, animalistic glare that was within them. She hated that look…she was afraid of that look.

"Stop it! Leave me alone!" she cried out, but he wasn't listening. He never did. He never heard the pleads and cries she would give when he was around her, and he was never around to hear those pain filled sobs and screams that seemed to haunt the apartment complex at night. He was too ignorant to even see that he was the cause of those screams.

"Shut up, you're going to love this. You're such a tease, do you realize that? I've waited so long…so goddamn long. Baby, I'm not going to wait anymore," he hissed viciously, and he shoved her hard up against the counter, his eyes burning with that lustful, hungry gaze that only a true predator would have.

"Let me go! No!" she screamed.

She tried to push him away, thrusting her fists into his chest, which seemed to aggravate him just a little. Keeping his hand between her legs, he pushed her up into the counter with the other and lifted her up onto it. She kicked at him, but his body kept her legs pinned to the marble side. He removed his hand from between her legs, keeping his hungry eyes locked with her fearful and horrified ones, and with his now free hand, he worked on the zipper of his pants.

"No! No! NO!"

She kicked, she punched, she tried to shove him off of her, but he wasn't going to have it. He pressed his body into her, wrapping one arm around her waist as he worked on the belt holding his jeans up. She screamed, but the shrill of it caused him to react. His belt undone and his zipper down, he brought his hand up, and the most terrifying sound seemed to shatter across the barrier of the apartment. It was the sound of the flesh of the back of his large hand splitting against the sensitive and sweet skin that was her cheek. She let out a sound—not a cry, but not a moan, the sound a poor animal would make when it was in extreme pain—and she kept silent, the side of her face red and marked by his hand. Tears welled up in those sad and pleading rain gray eyes, but she only sobbed silently as he brought his arms around her, pulling her into his hot and controlling body. She said nothing, but inside her heart was pounding defiantly and dreadfully. She had what little innocence was left of her, her sweet and calming virginity that has lasted and sustained the tormenting abuse of several men before Julian, the pain and suffering of loss that has plagued her entire life, and now, after twenty-one years of enduring and surviving the pain and agony of her twisted life, she was going to lose it all…she was going to be raped and taken from her dream that every teenage girl would have, of giving herself to her true love, of having the perfect setting and moment in which she would willingly make love to the man of her dreams. It was all going to die, to be ripped from her in this moment that she was unable to be saved from.

She turned her face away in agony as Julian started panting like a canine in heat, his breath fowl and ridden with the stench of alcohol and marijuana. She winced as she felt his hands toy with the fly of her own jeans, but she tried one last time to fight him off, but he kept her legs pinned by separating them around him, placing his hips between them. She whimpered in fear, knowing what was coming next. Luckily, this was one of many moments that she had been able to be saved from, however last second it was.

"Alli, I'm home!"

Time seemed to freeze. The air was hesitant, knowing that one false move, and everything will shatter with it. Alli took a risky move and looked up to see his hungry, yet hostile and angry eyes glaring into hers. His teeth were bared and ferocious, a vicious animal having been interrupted from its hunt. He released her only after he took one grind into her body. He zipped up his pants and latched his belt back together, but soon after he leaned into her and hissed a threat in her ear.

"We'll continue later."

It was the worst three words she had ever heard in her life. The worst to ever exist, and she whimpered from fear as he walked out of the kitchen. She listened, bowing her head in fear as she heard the woman in the living room speak in surprise and shock at the presence of him.

"Julian, what are you doing here?"

"What? A guy can't come over and see his girlfriend?" he sounded normal, too normal, and calm. How sick and disgusting was this monster?

"Well, I guess, but…" there was anxiety in the woman's voice, fear, terror, but not for her own sake. For another's….

"Anyways, Sam, I'll see you later. I got to go take care of something," with that, the sound of the front door opening came, and then closing with a hard and omniscient slam. Alli was shaking inside, her body trembling as she had just escaped another complication.

"Alli? Alli, where are you?"

The sound of Sam's voice seemed so distant, so faded, and she couldn't respond as she slipped off the counter, but ended up falling to her knees on the tiled kitchen floor. She was shaking violently, her body filled with the aching pain of life and having escaped from a near-death experience. Tears rolled down her eyes, singeing that newly created bruise on the side of her face.

"Alli? Alli!"

It was a welcoming sensation, to feel loving arms around her, to feel arms that were warm and comforting embrace her and hold her, to feel the familiar body of her best friend cling to her and care for her, shaking and sobbing with her. Sam…she and Sophia were the only true forms of love and safety that she had in this world. It was sad, but it was the truth, however much she wished it wasn't. Sam held her for a long time, embracing her and rocking her, trying to erase from her body and mind the fear and torment of the passing moment. It was a futile attempt, as nothing could erase what had happened to her, or what had nearly happened to her. It was sad, but true. You can never take from your body the fear and pain of an abusive relationship, nor can you erase it from your memory and heart.


	3. Confrontation and Lies

Chapter III: Confrontation and Lies

"Allison?"

It was a sweet feeling, to have a child's finger poke at your forehead while you were barely coming out of a dreaming state. It was a grand feeling, and it made the coldness and numbness in Alli's body quickly disappear as she opened her eyes to see a little girl with long black hair and green eyes smile at her. Sophia was her dream, her precious dream that she hoped will never go away. She smiled back at the little girl, who seemed to be somewhat curious. Who wouldn't be after seeing her older cousin sob and cry in her locked room all night after what had happened? Poor Sophia…hopefully she will never know what was really going on between Alli and Julian.

"Good morning, Pretty Sophie," Alli murmured softly back to her. She had to maintain that mask of happiness and sincerity, or else the questions that seemed to plague everyone's minds will end up coming back to her.

"Sami says you and her are supposed to go to a party tonight. Can I come?" Sophia asked sweetly, batting those eyelashes at her, trying to get her way by being the cute and adorable girl that they all knew she was. Alli shook her head, knowing that this child received her cunning trait from her mother, Alli's Aunt.

"No, Sophie, it's a grown-up party, you can't come—and don't give me that look!" Alli criticized playfully as Sophia gave a pouting look—her bottom lip poking out and her green eyes giving a sad frown, a look that many people call the "_puppy-dog Eyes_." Alli just happened to teach her that one long ago.

"Why not?" Sophia whined, and it was breaking her heart to actually hear it. She had to maintain her order, though, she couldn't give into it. She had to keep up her motherly-figure over the girl. After all, wasn't that what she was supposed to be doing?

"Because I said so, Sophia," she told her again, and the "_puppy-Dog Eyes_" disappeared into a disappointed look. Alli knew that Sophia didn't like being left out of parties, but it was all she could do to keep this sweet innocent girl out of the troubling and sinful real world. "Besides, you're going to be with my mom tonight. Don't you like hanging out with Aunt Erika?"

"Yes, I do, but I want to be with you, Allison! You're fun and cool!" Sophia spoke sadly, and Alli sat up in the bed, holding her arms out to the girl. Sophia walked into the embrace, and the warmth of the child's body seemed to fill her own from the sadness and pain she suffered from.

"I know, Sophie. Tell you what, one of these days I'll take you somewhere. Somewhere fun and exciting. How about it?" Alli bargained with the child, who nodded sweetly, but the disappointment of not going with her older cousin remained on her face.

"Okay. Hey, Allison, why doesn't Sami like Julian?" Sophia asked her cousin, and a chill ran through her spine. She knew why Sam didn't like Julian, she knew the main reasons why Sam hated him with all her soul, why she wished he was dead and got shot by one of his rival "_gangsters_." Sophia was too young to know, though. For all she knew, Julian and Alli were in a happy, loving relationship, and it will remain that way.

"What makes you think Sami doesn't like him?" rhetorical question, but she wanted to know what Sam was doing or saying in front of Sophia, that way she could fix it.

"She says a lot of bad things about him. I heard her call him the '_MF_' word the other day. And this morning, while she was making breakfast, she called him a '_girl-beating B-word_,'" Sophia confessed to her cousin. Alli sighed, a bit disappointed in Sam for opening her mouth in front of such innocent ears.

"You know, I don't know why she doesn't like him. I think they just disagree on a lot of things, and because of that, they don't like each other. I'll have a talk with her about watching what she says around you, though."

Alli brought the little girl into her and held her close, stroking those black strands on her head lovingly. This little girl was the most precious thing in the world to her, and she didn't want her to be exposed to such a vicious and cruel world. She couldn't stop her from growing and eventually learning how sinful the world may be, but at least right now, at this age, she can do whatever she can to prevent her from knowing.

* * *

"Alright, Sophia, you have everything you need?"

Sam looked towards the backseat of her 2004 black Ford Fusion—her father had bought it for her when she graduated from high school. Alli looked at the child sitting in the backseat from her own compact mirror, Sophia had dressed herself up nice to go visit her Aunt Erika, her favorite black and hot pink-striped dress fitting her too perfectly along with her own pair of black dress shoes. Sophia had in her lap her _Kim Possible_ backpack, stuffed with toys and entertainment utilities needed. The child smiled back at Sam, who turned to Alli for a moment.

"Are _you_ ready?" she asked her friend. Alli nodded, reapplying her red lipgloss to her mouth before opening the door of the passenger side and hopping out. Sophia appeared out of the car, and walked beside her innocently, even to the point of grabbing her hand to swing from as they both clambered up the steps to the house. Before knocking on the door with the golden hoop hanging from the center of the oak surface, Alli leaned down to come only a little taller than the child in order to give her last minute words.

"Okay, kiddo, Sami and I are going to pick you up around ten or eleven—"

"But that's past my bedtime," Sophia quickly added before Alli could finish what she was saying.

"I know, it's alright. It's Aunt Erika's choice if she wants you to stay up or not. You listen to her, okay? If she tells you not to do something, you don't do it," Alli warned her briefly before she knocked on the door.

"Okay, Allison," Sophia smiled brightly up at the older woman, and they waited patiently until the door was opened, and there stood a familiar face to them both.

Erika was an older woman, eighteen years older than Alli, with curly faded black hair and hazel eyes. Her posture was that of a strict and controlling woman who never seemed to have gotten over the fact her children had left the nest, an old bird searching for a way to replace that missing piece in her life. However, that coldness in her face dissipated at once when she saw the child standing at her doorstep, looking adorable in her black and pink dress.

"Oh, Sophia, it's so good to see you again!" the woman cried out happily.

"It's great to see you, too, Aunt Erika," Sophia replied politely, but she looked up at Alli anxiously, having known that the relationship between her and her mother was not a steady one. Erika looked from Sophia to her own beloved daughter, and her frown seemed to be one to shake a blood relative's heart to the core.

"Sophia, why don't you go on in? I made a fresh batch of chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. I know those are your favorite," Erika's smile, although sincere, couldn't fool anyone when it was turned onto Alli. Sophia stepped into the house, excited to fill her mouth with the sweetness and warm dough that she was forbidden to eat at the apartment. Smiling after the excited and happy Sophia, Alli's expression quickly turned cold and criticizing when those gray eyes turned onto her mother, the same look that a mother would give of disapproving of anything her child did.

"Do me a favor and don't get her hyped up on sugar. We barely let her have any at the apartment," she told her mother.

"Come on now, she's a child. She's bound to eat candy and chocolate and get hyper. You used to all the time," her mother argued.

"Yeah, but I have to be the one to come take her home and put her to bed tonight. It's hard trying to calm her down when she's rattled up," Alli told her.

"Alright, I won't give her too much sugar. She's over here barely at all, and I think it's nice she gets to relax and enjoy time here."

"Whatever, Mom, just don't let her get too hyper," Alli turned on her heel and was about to walk away when her mother called back after her. She knew Erika had seen it, there was no way to avoid it, to hide it. It was clear on her, and however much she tried to cover it up with conceiler and make-up, there was no possible way to hide it or to conceal the pain.

"How'd you get that bruise, Allison?"

Subconsciously her hand rose to her face, and the tips of her nails gently grazed against the spot that the mark rested on. The memory of yesterday came flooding back inside her, ripping at her heart and soul violently, trying to get her to break down and re-experience the pain that had occurred as the root of it. Taking in a deep breath to keep those sobbing feelings down, she maintained a calm, if somewhat embarrassed expression in order to support the lie she was about to tell. She turned to her mother, a somewhat humiliated grin on her face.

"I fell and landed on a large rock. It hurt like hell, but I'm okay. No busted teeth or anything," she quickly lied. She saw her mother's mouth open in response, but she needed to get to the car before Sam got impatient with her and would leave without her.

"I have to go, Mom. I'll see you later!"

She ran towards the Ford Fusion, throwing open the passenger side door and hopping into the seat before her mother could echo out a good-bye to her. Sam smiled at the girl beside her, and, after one last wave to the woman standing on the stoop, they rode off down the street to the party.

* * *

The Fusion car came to a stop along a crowded suburban street, and the two girls looked at each other, examining and perfecting the other's make-up and giggling as they talked about who might be at the party. It was a typical night for the two roommates to be going out to a party and leaving little Sophia with Erika for the time being. With the chaos of relationships, school, work, and their own personal lives, it was nice to be with their friends and drink and dance until they were content with themselves and left. Neither one was a heavy drinker, a casual sip of beer or small glass of wine, but neither one seemed to prefer the taste of hard liquor. Sam had somehow developed an allergic reaction to hard alcohol, having experience the retched feeling of vomiting blood during one party where she took in an average sip of Jack Daniels, and Alli trying to be a responsible motherly-figure to Sophia—not to mention she had learned to be careful with her drinks long ago with her deranged lovers. So, neither girl truly were drinkers unless the occasion called for such casualties.

"So, are you ready?" Sam asked. Her dark red hair fell past her shoulders, the longest they had ever been since the two of them had been in high school. Her brown eyes kept darting towards one of the houses up the street, lingering on a pacing figure that seemed to have caught her attention strongly.

"Yeah, but before we go, I need to talk to you about something," Alli told her sharply, closing her black purse with her make-up in it.

"Uh-oh, am I in trouble?" Sam asked teasingly.

"No, no, I just need you to watch what you say around Sophia," she told her friend softly, tapping her index finger against her now red and lusciously attractive lips.

"She heard me cursing again? Goddamn it!" Sam winked at her friend, who restrained a rising giggle or two.

"Well, yeah, that, too, but…she heard you talking about Julian."

There was a moment that passed between the two young women, neither one wishing to say anything to other on something that was such a sensitive topic. Not so much that she said anything about Julian in front of a child---it was the fact she had said anything at all about Julian. It was not even a sensitive topic. It was a traumatizing one. However, it was Sam who broke the silence between them.

"When are you going to leave that jack ass?" Sam asked of her. Alli didn't answer, she couldn't. She had always talked about leaving the guys she's dating, the ones who were similar or worse than Julian, but in the end, she never could. Something always bound her to them, something powerful and terrifying, something that kept her curled up in the corner, numb and paralyzed with horror.

"I…I don't think I can leave him," Alli confessed.

"Oh, don't tell me that you love him. I know you don't love him, Alli. I can see it in your eyes. You hate him, you loathe him. So just leave him. You've left plenty of other guys before," Sam told her, and each word carved into the girl like a knife to a Jack-O-Lantern. Everything she said was true, even though Alli will never admit it. She didn't love Julian, she hated him, but she was somehow bound to him. This bond…it was something different from the rest, something completely different…stronger, and more dominant.

"Yes, but those were different guys, different times. I can't leave right now, I just…I can't," she sighed, oppressing the tears that were rising up in her eyes. Despite her efforts to hide them, Sam could still see them. She always saw them, back in Junior High, back in High School, in College, and even now. She always saw them.

"Alli, come here, honey," she leaned over and took her best friend into her arms, holding her and embracing her lovingly. It was sad how the only forms of comfort she received were from her best friend, and although she was unable to help, because long ago she had learned to stay out of other people's business, she couldn't help but cry and sob when she saw her friend break down in pain. However, Alli pulled out of the hug and smiled at her.

"I don't know, Sam, one of these days I will break up with him, but not right now."

"When, Allison? When you're in a body bag being carried away because he beat you to death?"

"He's not going to beat me to death, Sam. Just relax, I'll be fine."

That smile wasn't fooling anyone, but it was the smile that told everyone to drop the topic. It was a kind smile, one that seemed to be scene constantly nowadays. She was a kind girl, a cherishing girl that Sam hoped nothing bad would happen to her. She had prayed for years that Alli would escape her habit of dating men that hurt her and tormented her. Unfortunately that day had never come, and she was starting to believe that it may never come.


	4. A Magical Party

Chapter IV: A Magical Party

"Hey, Sam, Alli, glad you could make it!"

"Well, you know, it's not a party until we're here!"

"You got that right. Hey, want a drink?"

"Um…sure."

Alli only smiled as her friend ran off with a familiar face—but at the moment, unnoticeable—towards the kitchen of the crowded house. She looked around, trying not to pay attention to the couples crowding the hallways or making out on the staircase, and she walked into the even more crowded living room. Most of the people here she didn't know, but she did see some familiar faces, including an old high school friend that she remained in contact with even three years after graduation. She came out of nowhere and pulled her towards the back of the living room, the young woman's eyes wandering elsewhere, searching the doorways and whatever rooms she could see, and searching for any sign of someone in particular being there. However, her eyes were pulled towards the person dragging her to the fireplace, which was burning sweetly and picturesquely, the orange flames licking at the large pieces of wood sitting on the black wire stand, the fire licking and lapping at the wood like the tongue and hungry tongue of a ravished dog. A dog that she knew all too well….

"Oh my God, Alli, where have you been? We haven't talked in ages, and I really was thinking about calling you this weekend to see if you wanted to hang out. And here you are! Oh, we have so much to catch up on!"

"Yeah…."

Michelle Collins was probably one of the most hyperactive and talkative girls she had ever known, but she was a gentle girl with good intentions. Michelle was also probably one of the most ill-fashioned people in the world, cutting her brown hair into a particular style that hasn't been seen since the 70's or 80's, and she always ended up clashing her sassy and bright brown eyes with the possibly worst and cheapest make-up to ever exist. As of now, people were turning back and staring at this strange woman wearing a rainbow striped halter long sleeve shirt and white miniskirt, trying to avoid seeing her blue and red painted eyes and face.

"Oh, what happened to your face, love?" Michelle asked quickly before she could say another word, immediately noticing the large black and blue mark on the other woman's cheek.

"It's nothing, Michelle, I just fell getting off the bus yesterday." A memory startled her mind, bringing back the disgust, shock, and surprise of her experience on the bus. She strangely remembered that man that had freaked her out, performing a trick she had never seen before. She wondered if she should share this with Michelle about her strange experience, but the fear of Julian being around prevented her from doing so.

"Oh, you always were a clumsy little girl. I remember when we were in high school, you tried out for the cheerleading squad. Boy, was that a hilarious day," Michelle laughed happily.

Alli closed her eyes, remembering that day from long ago. She was such a foolish child, always wanting to impress people and wanting to impress all these boys. She was a bit of a naïve and childish thing, and because a boy she was crushing on seemed to date only cheerleaders, she went out for the squad. She tried to perform a certain move that she had seen actresses perform in movies, and at first it seemed like she was going to nail it without flaw. However, it wasn't until someone yelled out to her that she was doing it completely wrong that she slipped and twisted her ankle…bad. The whole auditorium had erupted with laughter, and, despite the fact she was in some serious pain, she was even laughing herself.

"Yeah, I remember that." It was idly strange and ironic how everything seemed to have changed since that time. There was no more innocence among them—despite the fact she still had hers. Neither her nor her friends seemed to be the same people as they were years ago. They grew up, they've matured, and they went their separate ways. She was lucky that she stayed in contact with so many old friends, though some she wished she had kept closer in contact with—the ones of whom she has no clue as to their whereabouts.

"I wish things could be like they were. We used to have so much fun together, you, me, Sam, Katrina, and everyone," Michelle spoke fondly.

"We could still have fun together. We're here at this party together, right?"

"True, but I meant like…hang out, go somewhere and relax. Remember how we used to go to the mall and do absolutely nothing but sit around and talk? I want to do that again. I want all of us to go somewhere, like we used to," Michelle's brown eyes seemed to twinkle a little with a light that was not familiar to her friend, a light that made the other young woman tremble a little…not from fear, but from understanding.

"I know….Well, maybe we can. You were about to say something about hanging out this weekend. What was your idea?" Alli asked sweetly, showing that same smile she showed Sam in the car outside. Luckily, Michelle wasn't close enough of a friend to know what that smile…that sad, innocent grin meant.

"Oh, well, I got tickets to go see a show next weekend. It's just a few tickets that I won in a radio contest, but I think it'll be great. I was thinking of taking you, me, Sam, and anyone else who might like to come," Michelle smiled at her friend, and quickly handed to her a slip of some kind. Alli looked down at it, and read the words across it.

_"MINDFREAK SHOW LIVE AT 8 P.M."_

_Mindfreak? What kind of show was that?_ Alli thought to herself, but she didn't say anything as she smiled back up at her friend.

"It sounds like a lot of fun. I think I will go with you to that, and I know Sam will like it. What's the age rating?" she quickly asked, a thought rising up into her head.

"Um…I think it's all ages. Why?"

"Well, you know how I'm taking care of Sophia now, right?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I think it'll be great if she came. She might like it. It's supposed to be a magic show, so I'm pretty sure we'll all like it. That just leaves two more tickets, then. We'll need to find someone else to go with us."

"And where are you guys going?"

It was the most fearful sound in the world at the moment, the sudden whispering at her ear, the cold hands wrapping around her body as she felt a weight fall into her, and the putrid stench of weed and alcohol seeming to surround her out of nowhere. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was, though she wished she didn't have to know. For a split second, a moment that went unnoticed to everyone and everything in the world, horror stretched across her face, feeling the unwelcomed body pressed against hers. She knew who it was before she even heard their voice or felt them on her. She knew who it was before anyone did anything, as the fear and terror of yesterday's event still lingered on her mind and haunted the very depths of her heart and soul.

"Oh, hi, Julian. Long time no see," Michelle greeted the man that had appeared, and he practically stumbled over his own two feet to get to the girls, apparently unsteady and unstable due to large brown bottle held in his hand. Alli noticed this, and purposely kept his arm around her just to keep in on his feet.

"Julian…Julian, baby, are you drunk?" she quickly asked him, but he seemed to have not heard the worry and concern in her voice. He reacted negatively to her speaking to him like that.

"Is that the first thing to come out of your mouth? 'Julian, are you drunk'? Babe, I'm not drunk, I'm just having a good time," he told her scornfully, his retched breath blasting into her face. Michelle and Alli exchanged looks, and the loyal, beloved girlfriend took him towards an empty spot on the couch against the wall, sitting him there. Her friend came up beside her, and they looked down at him like parents criticizing and lecturing their child.

"Let me see that," Michelle quickly snapped the bottle from the man, and she put the tip of it to her nose, sniffing at the peculiar scents that certain drinks had. She sniffed it twice before holding it to her friend's nose, allowing the other girl to sniff at it, also. She took in the familiar scent, and then she spoke before the other did.

"It's whiskey. Where the hell did he get whiskey?" Alli quickly asked Michelle, though the question was meant to be directed to her boyfriend, who, despite his inebriated state, was sober enough to answer.

"I got it from the kitchen, baby. Go grab yourself one, and then we could have some real fun." He leaned over and firmly grabbed his girl's leg, rubbing it provocatively. Michelle's mouth dropped, and Alli blushed from the déjà vu moment. She bit her lip, feeling the sting of a bruise being irritated once again, but luckily he wasn't strong enough in this kind of state to recreate that moment right now. She pulled her leg back, but he spoke against it in a crude and discourteous manner.

"Bitch, don't you dare pull away from me! I'll smack you so hard that pretty little brain of yours will go splatter against the walls!" he threatened her. In her mind she pictured herself holding a pillow over his mouth, seeing him struggle and fight against her, but this time, she was the strong one, holding the pillow there against his face until he at last stopped moving, and could no longer harm her….

"Alli, come on. Let's just leave him," Michelle grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the couch. They walked into the kitchen—crowded with alcohol-crazed lunatics doing stupid stunts off of the countertops and making out with other drunken bimbos against the walls. The girl was pulled into the hallway and into a vacant bathroom—which was ironic as she would've thought it would be crowded with crazily vomiting party-goers by now. Michelle closed the door, and her friend took one look in the mirror before she saw someone in it that she didn't recognize.

The mirror had her face, had her eyes, had her hair and lips, but the look in the eyes…the look on her face…it wasn't a human one. It was a sad, fearful, bruised face that could never have belonged to a once happy and sweet little girl. A face like that…could only belong to someone suffering, someone who had died inside and was only living life through an empty and cold, numb cadaver. Her hands came up and gently touched her bruised cheek, running down to her chin—_the scar was unnoticeable under the make-up and years of healing_—to her neck—_the knife was so close that one time, so close to slicing that soft flesh_—down towards her chest, concealed behind her maroon sweater and black vest—_so many hands, so many monsters_. She lifted her eyes towards the corner of the mirror to see Michelle standing there, watching her with terror and pain in those clashing brown eyes. She didn't want to say anything right now, she didn't want anything to come out of that mouth in the reflection that wasn't hers—_a busted lip, a busted lip, a fucking busted lip!_—and words would come out that she would regret ever saying.

"Would you mind telling me what's going on? Why was he threatening you out there like that?" Michelle asked. Alli leaned over the sick—_the malicious feeling of vomiting rising up and becoming stronger due to the pain that was being repressed_—and she restrained the water that was starting to tickle along her eyelashes—_so many tears, so many tears_….

"Alli! Allison, answer me!" Michelle yelled at her, and her friend's body shook violently from the confined tears and words that were inside her. She couldn't hold it in much longer, she couldn't keep all these words inside her. She had to explode them onto something, onto someone, but not to someone that would eventually leak it to someone else, and then to another, until a chain becomes linked to him, or worse…to the police.

"He…he was drunk, Michelle. He doesn't know what he was saying or doing," Alli told her, creating that pleasant, happy, sweet mask that seemed to have worked perfectly in concealing everything and showing nothing—but the mask was slowly cracking, not a big one, but it was starting to break under the tension of holding in such heavy and struggling thoughts.

"But…guys don't usually threaten their girls unless they're guilty of hitting or hurting them. Alli, you used to date a lot of jerks before, a lot of cold-blooded bastards who hurt you and didn't give a shit about you. Please tell me this guy…this one guy that you seem to be happy with, isn't doing it to you," Michelle pleaded. She looked into the other girl's sad gray eyes, searching, looking for something to give away the answer, something that would tell the truth, despite whatever lie she might say. However, the mask was too thick, and her eyes…her sad gray eyes always looked that way for years.

"He's not, don't worry, Michelle. I'm alright, and…I think I might have to go pick Sophia up early," Alli told her friend. She couldn't stand to be in this place any longer. She wanted to go find Sam, grab her, and take her and Sophia home where she could be safe locked away in her room, sleeping off this madness that had erupted once again. She wanted to escape from this madness reality that plagued her, this hectic survival in this world that no one seemed to care about.

"Okay, well…I hope things will be okay," Michelle walked over to the girl and embraced her lovingly, only to release her and walk towards the door. "Call me, okay?"

Alli nodded, but the moment the door closed behind her friend, she collapsed to her knees in a sobbing mess, her body shaking and trembling from pain and fear. She hated herself for what she had become. She was nothing more than an empty vessel, now, a shallow and dark cadaver that merely moved along the strings of her puppet master. Why did her life have to suck so badly? Where in her life did she fuck up? Just where did everything she used to be suddenly disappear?

After gathering back up her composure and clearing her face of fallen tears, she finally left the bathroom only to go discover her good friend in an upstairs bedroom, flirting with a stranger she did not recognize. Her friend willingly agreed to leave after seeing her face, and the two girls left the party, leaving the house and all its guest in a drunken rage and fit, driving for an hour in complete and omniscient silence, until her friend finally parked in front of the familiar house they were both well known with. It was there that her friend went to the doorstep to retrieve the child and, without saying another word to anyone, they rode home, all three of them, towards the apartment complex where she did the one thing she had been waiting to do all night. She locked herself in her bedroom and sobbed herself to sleep, uninterrupted and left alone until the very hours of morning appeared over the horizon.

* * *

_(A/N: I know this chapter's pretty short, and I know I haven't brought him in again, but trust me, I'll bring him in. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and just as an FYI, everything that Alli is going through are things that are similar to my own personal life. I'm not going to go into details about what has happened, but I will tell you that if you have any questions about how realistic or if you have confusion about her character, just ask me, and I'll feel free to answer anything for you. Just message me, and I'll tell you. Peace!)_


	5. An Escape Route

Chapter V: An Escape Route

"I was thinking maybe we should go out today. There's this little café that had opened down the street, and I think Sophia might like it if she got to go outside and see that little toy shop she likes."

"Hmm-hmm."

"We should also buy her some new clothes. Two days ago she came to me and said that some of her pants and shirts aren't fitting her anymore. '_They're too snug_.' She has been getting bigger, and I think we should give her the talk of bras and panties some day."

"Hmm-hmm."

"Maybe I should buy her some cute little outfits, like a new dress or something. She has to get rid of that old tattered one. It's way too small on her, but she says she likes it because her Mama gave it to her."

"Hmm-hmm."

"I'm also going to buy her some sexy clothes, maybe a thong or two, and pimp her out to some perverted forty-five-year-old child molester just to earn myself a few hundred bucks to pay for gas."

"Hmm-hmm….Wait, what?"

"Aha, so there is someone in there after all?" Sam spoke victoriously over breakfast one morning, having gotten through the blank and wandering mind that was her best friend. The other woman looked at her in confusion, but she only winked cunningly at her, signaling that she was only kidding.

"I'm sorry, Sam, I just…I've been somewhere else," she confessed to her friend morbidly.

"Oh, I know that. I was wondering if you did."

Alli merely nodded and stared down at her plate of cinnamon eggs, toying with them with the edge of her fork carelessly, her thoughts unclear, fogged, as they had been for the past three days. Three days? Is that how long it's been? It felt even longer. Well, time really did seem to stop in that enclosed bedroom that she spent practically this whole week in. After the party, she just seemed to lose herself completely and spent the night—and half the day—in that room, crying and sleeping, though whatever minutes of sleep she seemed to gain were not pleasant ones due to her situation. She was practically blind to the apartment and the people around her, unable to see the stress and concern that was haunting the child that hardly got a chance to see her during the time, the confusion and frustration that her best friend was having to deal with, taking care of the child and herself when she hardly came out of the room. It was a sad thing to deal with, knowing that her boyfriend was an abusive and tormenting jackass that never respected her at all. She hardly ever saw Julian these past three days. Sam never told her that he stopped by the apartment to see her or if he ever called—_he probably found another little toy to play with after the party and is probably screwing around with that one_. She didn't care. She never really did. Julian was just someone she clung to in order to escape her past, but turned out he was the very incarnation of it.

"Alli, you really need to get out of the house. You've been moping around, and me and Sophia are starting to worry that you're getting depressed," Sam's voice broke out through the deafening silence in her head, and she lifted her eyes—those sad, sweet, lost gray eyes—to meet her friend's caring brown eyes.

"I'm not getting depressed. I'm just…I don't know, Sam. I want to break up with him so bad. I want to leave him. I even…I even…." _I want to kill him! I want to kill him! I want to kill that fucking bastard! I want him dead!_

"I know, I know, Alli, and I don't understand why you don't just up and leave him. It's not like you're bound to him by chains. He's just a guy, and you can do much better than him," Sam tried to encourage her, trying to cheer her up. Although she smiled back, that sad gaze…that horrible sad gaze never disappeared.

"Is this lecture over?" Sam's eyes widened a little at Alli's sudden expelling of irritability and retreat. She noticed this sudden surprise in her friend's eyes, and then she spoke. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've just been really…irritable."

"It's cool, don't worry. Anyways, I was thinking about taking all three of us out today. You know, stop by a café, see that cute little toy shop that Sophia likes so much, and maybe even buy her some new outfits," Sam informed her.

"You know, that does sound like fun. I think we'll do that today. You're right, though, her clothes are getting a little small, but I don't think we should get rid of that dress, even though it is ratty."

"Hey, I thought you weren't listening!"

"Well, what do you know? I guess I was."

Alli winked at her friend, who merely gave her a sarcastic look as they finished up breakfast and prepared themselves and Sophia for the day out.

* * *

"This is nice. Aren't you glad I convinced you to come out with us?" Sam interrogated her friend, who glared at her darkly with a sly smile across the table from her. 

"More like coerced," she teased.

"Well, you know I always get my way."

"Not all the time."

"Name one time I didn't get my way."

"Okay, I'll name one. Joey Carcen."

"That guy was a dickhead, he doesn't count."

"He turned your date down."

"Only because he already had a girlfriend—"

"That he started dating three weeks after you asked him out."

"He doesn't count. Name another."

"Joey Carcen's older brother, Michael."

"Will you get off the Carcen family?"

"You guys are funny!"

"Are we now?" Alli turned to the little girl sitting next to her, spooning into her small mouth bits of her vanilla and chocolate brownie sundae. Sophia was as cute and adorable as ever, looking like a little doll in her pink bow dress and her black hair tied up in a little flower-decorated ponytail.

The three girls were sitting together at a round table outside in the warm sunlight in the front of a cute Italian café that was down the street from their apartment. Sam was right, it was nice to finally be outside and take in the sunlight of the season. The sky was perfectly clear, a brilliant shade of teal blue, soft and gentle on one's eyes, unlike the hard sunlight that always seemed to shine too hard and make everything difficult to see. Alli was in a much happier mood now that she was out of the apartment, away from Julian, and she somehow had left all the madness of her life and troublesome conflicts at the apartment. The strings that bound reality to her were temporarily severed, and she was left wandering about in the warm, comforting, soft sunlight with her best friend and little cousin.

"How's your ice cream, Pretty Sophie?" she turned to the little girl beside her, who smiled back up in a fudgy, chocolate-caked toothy grin. _I wish I had a camera_, she thought to herself.

"Jis jummy!" she cried out happily in response. Alli and Sam exchanged looks of muffled giggles, and then they both sighed. Alli suddenly remembered what Michelle had told her at the party, about a magic show she had gotten tickets to go see after winning a radio contest. It should be in a day or so, and they had nothing planned to happen on Saturday night. Maybe these two would like to go see it.

"Pretty Sophie, do you remember when I told you that I'd take you some place fun and cool because I couldn't take you to the party?" she turned to the child, who looked back up at in confusion, curiosity, and excitement. Sam gave her the same look, minus the excitement. Sophia nodded happily, while Sam leaned in a little to listen to the conversation. "Well, my good friend, Michelle, got tickets to go see a magic show on Saturday. Do you want to go see it?"

"Yeah!" it was the cutest cry in the world to hear, and it seemed to heal her shattered heart when she heard it. She looked back up at her friend, and quickly added to her words, "You can come, too, Sam."

"Yeah, I better have been invited, or else I'll have to have a talk with Michelle as to why she's being a meanie-bo-beanie!" Sam lunged on Sophia and started tickling the little child, who cried and giggled hysterically from it.

Alli just merely stared and smiled at them pleasantly. Sam had been a great influence on Sophia, ever since the two cousins moved into an apartment with her, Sam had always treated the little girl like her own daughter, cherishing her, loving her, and caring for her, especially in situations that Alli was unable to. Before Sophia became the biggest part of her life, she had plans to go to a far off college somewhere and obtain a degree in journalism, possibly getting a world-known name and having her own talk show—_White Oprah Winfrey, anyone?_ However, things changed, and although she didn't regret or hate it, a part of her did wonder what would have happened if Sophia didn't come into the picture. She didn't dwell on it, because by dwelling on it, you're regretting it, and that was something she never did. She loved Sophia with all her heart, and enjoyed being a motherly-figure to the little girl for the past three years.

"Hello, ladies. Would you mind if I showed you something?"

It was probably the strangest, most compelling moment for her at the moment, a sudden déjà vu moment that stripped at her and tore at her mentally when she heard that voice speak from beside her, a voice that spoke the same words she had read days ago, a voice that seemed to linger on a taunting haywire from within her subconscious dreams and tease her hysterically. She didn't want to, but she had to. She had to turn her head to see who had spoken, only to see the face and figure that had danced on that haywire, mocking her playfully and disturbing her to a point to where she desires morning to come and take her from those twisted and contorted dreams.

A man stood before them, a man that showed upon his face a coyness and cunning smile of arrogance. His dark hair was highlighted by a few streaks of light hair, but unnoticeable through the darkness of his strands, his face uncovered, allowing them to see his dark eyes fully, his hypnotic, mesmerizing dark eyes that seemed to pull anyone who looked into them in. He wore a normal black t-shirt with dark jeans and his worn boots, but she at once recognized him by the chain he wore around his neck, one of the crucifix railing that hung from the chain bound by handcuffs, and the other with the pendant of an "A" in a circle. It was that man…the one that horrified her on the bus. He apparently recognized her, too, as his eyes lingered on her a little longer than on everyone else, and a strange grin crossed his face.

"No, of course," Sam spoke before she could respond herself, but she cast her friend a warning look, which went unnoticed. The man looked from her to the child, who watched him happily. Alli was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with this man, feeling a sense of insecurity and paranoia rise up within her. A part of her—more like most of her—wanted to grab Sophia and take her back inside the café, away from this stranger.

"May I see your spoon, please?" the man held out his hand to the child, who eagerly placed in his palm her spoon—the very same spoon she had been shoveling ice cream into her mouth. The woman beside her cast a brief criticizing look at the child, which went ignored by both her comrades, who were watching the man enthusiastically.

"What's your favorite ice cream?" the man asked the child quickly, who gave the most adorable face trying to think of an answer. Finally, after only a brief moment of thinking, she answered.

"Chocolate!" Sophia exclaimed joyfully.

"Chocolate? That's my favorite, too," the man told her, though it was quite easy to tell that he was just trying to entertain the child, which worked perfectly, resulting in her clapping and giggling lightly.

"Excuse me, but would you mind choosing a number between one and ten?"

The man looked at the woman in front of him, sitting beside the child. She looked back up at him, confused and startled, but her gray eyes held within them the sense of no comfort and suspicion. She decided to play along, choosing the more appropriate answer that came into her mind at the moment.

"Four." Her grin was cocky, arrogant, much like the one he was giving.

The man clasped the spoon in his hand, shielding it behind his curled fingers, and he closed his eyes, as if meditating. He then unclenched his fingers, and revealed, being held tightly between them, four spoons, exact same ones that Sophia had given him. Sophia beamed and grinned excitedly, and she clapped her hands, but her "motherly" cousin was not impressed. She just kept staring at the man, this trick having been nothing compared to the one he had shown her on the bus.

"Okay, when I was your age, I loved ice cream. I think all kids are, and I never got tired of it. Some people get tired of it when they get older—" he started talking to the girl, but she quickly interrupted him.

"Yeah, like Allison here!" Sophia took her cousin's hand in her own two small palms, and gave a sarcastic grin at the older girl. Alli glared at her playfully and pulled her hand away, but when she turned back, she met his dark eyes once again, but there was a look within them….

"Even now, whenever I crave ice cream, I have to stop whatever I'm doing and go buy some. When you get older, though, there are days where, even though you want it real bad, you can't have it," the man laid the four spoons in his other palm, and he put his now free hand over them, concealing them completely from view, and he mumbled something that was incoherent to all ears, and then he pulled his hand away to show that the four spoons were gone.

Sophia jumped out of her seat, cheering and clapping happily, and even Sam was smiling a little in amazement. The other woman was not impressed, as this seemed to be nothing compared to what she had already seen.

"As a grown-up, though, you can't keep going to your mom for ice cream money, so you have to buy it yourself some how. Again, pick another number between one and ten," them man told Alli, who looked rather stunned that he asked her to do it again. She grinned, knowing that the next number to come to her head was probably the most childish and innocent one she could choose.

"Ten."

"Ten? Alright, do you know what half of ten is?" the man asked the child, who stared up at him, bewildered and confused. Sophia hasn't dealt with fractions yet. He seemed to read this on her face, and decided to rephrase his questions. "What's ten divided by two?"

"Five?" she seemed a little unsure of her answer, but the grin on his face told her that she had been right.

"Five, are you sure?" he asked her, and she looked from Sam to Alli, searching for any sign of another answer, but no one gave it to her. She nodded, still unsure. "You're right, it is five. Count with me, alright?"

He swiped his hands together vertically, and Sophia's green eyes watched them anxiously, practically leaning her chin just above her bowl of ice cream. Her cousin had to lean over and drag the bowl away towards the center of the table, away from the girl and her cute little dress.

He swiped his hands together once….

"One." Sophia counted.

He did it again….

"Two."

Again….

"Three."

Again….

"Four."

He swiped his hands one last time before bringing them together, and Sophia counted the last one.

"Five."

"Alright, now, do you know what ten times two is?" he asked the child, who looked around for an answer before she gave the one that was on her mind.

"Twenty?" she asked.

"Are you sure?" he questioned her, and she nodded, unsure, but convinced enough. He pulled his hands away, revealing a rolled up bill in the middle of his palm. "Twenty it is, then. There you go."

He handed her the bill, and she practically screamed when she unfolded it to reveal it was a twenty dollar bill. Alli and Sam both exchanged looks of surprise, but they couldn't get a word in edge-wise, as the child was cheering and jumping for joy.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Wow, that's a really nice thing you did, Mr.…." Sam went on, but she didn't know his name.

"You can call me Christopher," the man answered her before she could speak another word. She beamed, and she spoke his name again, as if it was the gospel words spoken by angels.

"Christopher."

"That was a very generous thing you did. And I think you might have taught her some things about numbers," Alli grinned a little, feeling a bit more secure after seeing Sophia's joyous and sincere smile that could only come from sheer surprise. Although she wasn't impressed by his trick, she was impressed by his kindness and generosity. This man, if anything, was sweet.

"It's my pleasure. But…speaking of numbers, I was wondering if I could have yours."

Time seemed to freeze itself around her, surrounding her in a cold, empty shell that separated her from the world. She couldn't look at the man, she physically and mentally couldn't. The moment she heard that pick-up line—_oh, how long has it been since she's heard one_—only one thing came to her, only one fact, only one person. The person that seemed to haunt her dreams and nightmares, torturing her in her subconscious and conscious state. It didn't matter if she was around him or not, he continuously had that control over her. She continuously had that fear, that unnerving, terrifying fear of a possibility of his actions if she ever gave in to the charms and handsome smiles that other men gave her. She had been fearful to look at other men, to crush on handsome and idealistic men she saw in movies and television, she had been terrified to even talk to one. _What would happen if he found out? What would happen if he knew she talked to a man that wasn't him? Why should he care_? _He's probably messing around with other women._ But it didn't matter, because she was owned by him. She was _his_ girl. He claimed her as his _girlfriend_, his love—_whatever that word seemed to mean to him_—and because of that, she was forbidden to wander off of the _leash_ that he had clasped around her neck.

She looked up to meet her friend's eyes, which were watching her eagerly and happily for a response to the man's line, as if desiring her to give up her information to him. Did Sam really want her to cheat on Julian? Sam was a strange girl, a playful and loyal friend, but did she even understand what risk she would be taking if her boyfriend knew about it?

"What?" it was all she could say to the man when she turned to him, and in those eyes—_those dark, mesmerizing eyes_—the look of confidence seemed to be decreasing the longer she looked at him.

"I'm sorry, I know it's probably something I shouldn't ask of you, but I was just wondering if I could have your phone number or something. Just so I can perform some tricks for you and your daughter here," the man tried to explain, but he started to lose that bit of cool and mystery of his aura as he continued to explain why he wanted her number.

"Well, I'm flattered, I really am, but—"

"Oh, for God's sake, will you just give him your damn cellphone number?" Sam sounded completely irritated and impatient with her best friend, and Alli looked back at her in shock and terror, wondering if she was going to turn the table on her.

"It's alright, she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to. Well, it was great talking to you three. Don't spend that money in one place," Christopher cast a cheerful smile at the little girl, but in his dark eyes was the frown of disappointment and shame for himself for performing such a risky move. He started to walk away, and before he was even out of eyesight, Sam jumped from her seat.

"Goddamn it, if you're not going to give him your number, I will!" she yelled to her friend.

"No, Sam, don't!"

But too late. Sam had leaped over the railing of the outside café and started racing after the man, calling after him. Alli continued to glare after her, but she watched hesitantly, fearfully, as she watched her friend caught up to him.

* * *

"I'm really sorry about my friend. She's a bit of a strange one. Here," the red haired woman held a piece of paper out to the man, and he looked down at it, seeing ten numbers written down on it. He smiled a little, but he looked back up at her. 

"Thank you, but you didn't have to—"

"Don't worry about it. I know she really wanted to give it to you, she's just shy and strange. But that's Alli for you," the woman cried out cheerfully.

"Alli?" he looked into this woman's brown eyes, seeing that happy smile, and she knew what he was going to ask.

"It's short for Allison, she'll prefer it if you call her that. Anyway, feel free to call her anytime, I'm sure she'll love to talk to you. I got to go, otherwise I'm going to be in trouble with her. It was nice meeting you, Christopher."

With that, the woman turned on her heels and darted back towards the café, back towards her glaring friend and the happy child. The man looked at the slip of paper that she had handed to him, and then he just merely grinned with confidence as he stuffed it into his pocket. _Alli, huh? Well, it was nice to see you again, Alli…._


	6. A Discovery Made

Chapter VI: A Discovery Made 

"I can't believe you! How could you give that guy my number?! Did you not once think about why I wasn't going to give it to him?!"

"You should have, though—that's a nice one, Sophia. How does it fit?"

"Will you listen to me?!"

"I am, hold on."

Sam walked away from her angry and annoyed friend to the dressing room where the little girl had walked out of, wearing an adorable ensemble of a pink and black striped halter, long-sleeve shirt with a pair of white jeans. Her black hair seemed to blend in with the shirt, and her fare face just seemed to glow with the outfit. Sam leaned down, placing her two fingers under the halter straps, seeing how tight they were, and then feeling along the hem of the jeans, seeing how loose they were. She smiled at the girl, standing back up to face her.

"It fits pretty good. Do you like it?" she asked her.

"Yeah, it's cute! I think Emily will like it, too!" Sophia cried happily.

"You know not to be sharing your clothes with your friends, right?" Alli interrogated the girl softly, who nodded seriously. "Alright, it does look cute. Take it off, and try on the other ones. We'll get that one."

Sophia turned and walked back into the dressing room, leaving the two women to argue outside the door amongst themselves, while she merely toned out from it. She had learned to do that when she was really little.

"Will you calm down, Alli? It was just a number. Chances are he might forget about it or throw it away," Sam told her, flipping her shoulder-length dark red hair back over her ears. She took out her blue and white striped headband, and then readjusted it to pull her bangs back.

"What if he doesn't? What if he was serious about having it? Do you honestly think I'm going to cheat on Julian like that?" the fearful woman confronted her friend, her hands shaking despite the fact she had them folded together in front of her.

"Allison, relax, okay? You're not cheating on Julian by giving this guy your cellphone number. You haven't gone out with the guy, you haven't slept with him, so you're not cheating. If he calls you, be nice, be sweet, you can even flirt, just don't try and develop a romantic relationship with him. Be his friend, if you have to," Sam explained to her. She looked at her friend, reading the expression of fear plastered across it—Sam always seemed to have X-ray vision through the mask she always wore. "Unless you like him."

"Shut up, I do not!" Alli glowered at her friend, who only laughed triumphantly from the look.

"You do! You like him! I mean, who wouldn't? He was fucking hot! I mean—DAMN! If I could sleep with him, you know, I would," Sam waved her hand in front of her face as she swooned for the man named Christopher as nasty and X-rated images and thoughts came to her mind.

"You're a slut, you know that?"

"And you're in denial," Sam accused her friend. "Just admit, you like him. Okay, even if you don't like him, you have to admit it, he was hot! H-O-T! Hot!"

Sam and Alli stared at each other, trying to see which one would break before the other said anything. Alli was never good at this game, as Sam was always triumphant at knowing the truth, however disgusting and incredulous it may be.

"Alright, he was." The girl turned her gray eyes away, trying to hide the faint blush rising on her face.

"And he had that '_bad-boy_' look you always crave. And he was…built! God, you could see those muscles flex and everything! I bet you money Sophia even has a small crush on him now! Damn, he was so fucking hot!"

"Sami, watch your language!"

Alli and Sam cracked up laughing when Sophia walked out of the dressing room—looking cute, as always, trying on a new outfit—and having the expression on her face of having overheard what they were saying. The child beamed at them, but her green eyes were condemning the older woman standing next to the door. Sam turned to her, smiling in submission.

"You're right, Sophie, I shouldn't curse. Bad Sami, bad!" she made a gesture of slapping herself on the forehead, and the little girl giggled. Alli just merely watched as Sam examined her new outfit, seeing if it fit well and if she liked it, before telling her to try on another one—they weren't going to buy this one as the top was practically slipping off her shoulders.

"What are we going to do when she gets older and she starts liking boys?" she asked her friend pleasantly, changing the topic.

"She's already starting to like boys. She likes this little boy in her class already—"

"No, I don't!" Sophia yelled out from behind the dresser door. Sam only beamed.

"Yes, you do. You told me about him. You're _little friend_, David!"

"David's a friend, just a friend! I don't like him!" Alli could just imagine the child's blushing face from behind the door, having been exposed for liking one of her own classmates. She remembered being her age and crushing on boys, but becoming embarrassed and denying those feelings whenever she was confronted with them. It was nice to see bits of her own childhood from a different point of view—from her mother's point of view.

"Okay, what are we going to do when she gets older and starts dating?" Alli quickly changed the topic from liking boys to dating boys.

"That's never going to happen. Not until she's eighty and is too old to date," Sam was starting to sound a lot like a father now. How ironic, as she was the one dating five different guys at once.

"I'm never going to date! Boys are gross!" Sophia cried out from behind the door.

"They're not all gross. Some are actually pretty cute," her cousin corrected her.

"Eww! Allison, you actually like boys?"

"Of course. Julian is a boy, isn't he?"

_"More like a bastard."_

Alli cast her friend a dark glare, having read the words that her friend had mouthed. Sam looked at her, shrugging innocently, but that scowl only grew sharper and deadlier. Sometimes her friends had forgotten about the fact she could read lips. Her friend merely acted like she hadn't said anything, but Alli knew what she had said.

"Is this one alright?"

It was her older cousin's turn to measure and see if it fitted right. This time she was trying on a dress with little flowers on it, a summer dress that seemed to look almost too adorable on her. It fit perfectly, it looked perfect, and Alli felt like taking pictures afterwards. After Sophia had tried on five more outfits, they decided to stop and purchase them. They then went to the car and drove home, where the child was asking questions about what they were going to do the next day.

"I can't believe Michelle got tickets to go see a magic show! That is so cool! Thank you for taking me, Allison!" the little girl cried out from the backseat.

"Don't thank me yet. Thank Michelle after the show. She was the one I had to convince to take you," the cousin responded. She played with her strawberry blond hair a little, watching the cars roll by.

"Did she say what the show was called?" Sam asked from the driver's seat, keeping her eyes peeled on the road.

"It said on the ticket '_Mindfreak_.' I've never heard of that show before, though."

"Neither have I. Want to look it up when we get home? You could use my computer," Sam offered.

"I think I'll do that. It wouldn't be a bad idea to know what we were going to see," Alli explained, and she grinned a little as she thought of the show that she was going to see, and wondered, being the "_magician_" that he was, if that man named Christopher was going to be there seeing it.

* * *

Samantha's room was the messiest Alli had ever seen, her friend never developed the habit of keeping things clean and tidy around people. Even when they were younger and she would go over to her house, her friend's room was always a disaster. It was surprising you could find anything in this room, let alone her computer. But she did. Sam was the only one out of the three of them with a computer, a Dell laptop that she acquired after high school, and it worked fast and perfectly, though the files that she kept on it Alli wouldn't dare wander into. She actually had to stay in here and watch over the child when she got on it, just in case she might wander into one of the chat rooms that Sam was well favorite with. Alli had to step over the piles of dirty clothes—some not even belonging to either of the girls in the apartment, not even belonging to any girls at all—the strange toys and devices that her friend kept, along with workout equipment that she seemed to use daily to keep a fit body—_I really need to think about working out with her someday_. Her bed was a mess, blankets and sheets rummaged and knotted in ways that made it almost a shame to look at, her dresser drawers open and clothes practically falling out of them, whereas the closet was an omniscient closed door that she was afraid to open, whereas she might be buried alive by a tsunami of items and clothes that her friend piled in there.

She came to the computer and turned it on, watching it load to the desktop screen—an image of a sexy, beautiful, rather suggestive angel with a tattoo on her butt was the wallpaper—and she opened up the Internet Explorer. Immediately, she typed in the URL for Wikipedia, and instantly came to the site's homepage. She typed in the word "_Mindfreak_" in the search engine, and instantly came a page with description and information of the show. She read the first paragraph, taking in the information of it.

_"Mindfreak is a show distributed by A&E Network. It debuted in 2005, and centers on unusual stunts and street magic acts by illusionist Criss Angel…."_

Alli looked at the paragraph, and her rain eyes traveled down towards the image they had posted towards the right of the screen. She clicked on the image, and her mouth dropped, eyes widened, and her entire body froze as she recognized the face smiling back at her wickedly.

"Sam? Sam! Samantha!"

"I'm coming!"

The woman appeared at the threshold, looking startled and confused. She scanned the girl sitting at the desk, wondering what the hell was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Take a look at that picture. Who does that look like to you?" Alli pointed with her thumb to the picture on the screen. Her friend walked over to the desk, stumbling over things she had left on the floor—an understatement—throwing complaints in the air.

"This better not be some trick, Alli," she threatened before she laid eyes on the picture. "Ooh, who's that sexy devil?—Oh, my God!"

Both Sam and Alli stared at the picture on the screen, stunned and afraid that the person scowling at them, the person that was posing as the star and host of this show was the same person who had performed the trick for them.

"That…that can't be him, can it?" Sam asked, her voice trembling and her body shaking. Had they really met a celebrity earlier?

"It has to be him. I mean, look at him! Look at those eyes, that hair, that face! Oh, my God, it has to be!" her friend cried out.

"Click on the link. Click on his name. Maybe they have a profile for him or something."

Alli hovered the mouse icon—an actual mouse on the screen, that's just like Sam to be so literal—and clicked on the highlighted name, "_Criss Angel_." It went to another page with new information on it, but it showed a picture that allowed the girls to see him a little better.

"There's no doubt, that is him. Look at his name," Alli looked at the first paragraph on the page, and read it aloud.

_"Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, born December 19, 1967, better known by his stage name Criss Angel is an American magician, musician, mentalist, hypnotist, escapologist, stunt performer, and actor. He is best known for starring in his own television show, Criss Angel Mindfreak."_

"Damn, that is him. No one can be that hot," Sam exclaimed proudly, staring at the picture posted in the same place as it had been on the page before. Alli wasn't listening to her, she was reading the rest of his bio.

"He was married," she muttered softly.

"What?"

"He was married. Look…._'He married, in 2002, JoAnn Winkhart, an actress and daughter of Richard Winkhart; his wife filed for divorce in June 2007, according to the International Herald Tribune, Newsday, and People_.'" Alli read it aloud to her friend, whose face seemed to stretch with a cunning grin upon it.

"Well, you know what that means," she implied.

"What?"

"He's on the market. He's single. He's yours for the taking."

"Are you insane?"

"Possibly. Depends on if those psychiatrists were right," Sam winked at her.

"He's twice my age!"

"Age isn't everything."

"He's a celebrity!"

"Hey, you got your Cinderella-story to tell."

"He was married!"

"And now he's not. He's single."

"I'm not!"

Both women stared at each other, that sensitive topic having been brought up so suddenly, and the air seemed to tremble when the thoughts of that man came to them both, taunting and mocking them both. However much as Sam didn't want to admit it, Alli was right. Because she currently was in a relationship, it would be wrong to pursue another man behind Julian's back. Besides that, what would happen if she did, and he found out? She would be putting her life on the line.

"So? Leave Julian, go after this guy. He's what you've been waiting for. Your knight in shining armor, your prince…your bad-ass, sexy, hot, muscular prince," Sam purred a little as she looked at the picture of the man.

"Would you rather go out with him? I'd be happy to let you go," Alli accused her friend, who glowered at her sardonically.

"I'm not the one whose number he asked for. I'm not the one he tried to hit on."

The girl opened her mouth in protest, but she shut it, unable to come up with a response to it. She just turned back to the screen, staring at the picture, staring at the man who had disturbed her…mesmerized her on the bus. The man who had been teasing and mocking her in her dreams. The man who had impressed little Sophia earlier that day. The man who had asked for her number. The man who kept dancing in her hand, grinning arrogantly at her, grinning as if he was the most spectacular person in the world. The man…the gorgeous, sexy man named Christopher. He was so attractive, Sam was right. He was hot, he was her ideal bad-boy, he was the exact incarnation of everything she had dreamed of her dream boy possessing. All those boys she used to date, all those guys that she crushed on and pursued in her lifetime, they were nothing compared to this man. He was so….Goddamn it, why was she crushing on him? She was in a relationship! But she couldn't help it! Damn….

"Well, I guess we're going to see him tomorrow. How cool will that be, seeing your boyfriend up on stage, performing magic?" Sam teased her, but Alli didn't hear her. She was staring at the picture, unable to take her eyes off of him. It was only a crush, nothing severe, nothing strong enough for her to be unfaithful to Julian. But, if she could…she would….

"Well, I guess we're going to see a magic show tomorrow."

* * *

_(A/N: Sorry I haven't updated the story sooner. My computer's been fucking up lately, and I had to wait five days before a family friend came over to figure out what the problem was and fix it. I'm probably going to do some drawings of the characters, so if you're interested, I'll give a link to the pictures in the future. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Peace!)_


	7. The Magic Show

Chapter VII: The Magic Show

"Oh, wow! Alli, you look incredible!"

"Thanks, so do you, Michelle." _Lie…somewhat._

"Sophia, you look so adorable! I can't believe how much you've grown!"

"Thank you, Miss Katherine."

"Just call me Kat."

Alli smiled as she looked around at the crowded parking lot of the Sunset Theater, looking at her friends before her. There were more people here than she thought, and she was grateful that Michelle had acquired the tickets before hand. It was girls' night out tonight, six girls standing together in the parking lot, admiring each other's outfits and make-up before they headed inside. The young college woman felt a little shy and out of place dressed up in such a way, but Sam had somehow convinced her to wear it, this dark purple, low-cut—revealing just enough of her cleavage to excite any man walking by—long-sleeve velvet shirt with her black wool miniskirt, black nylons, with Sam's knee-high black boots. She couldn't believe how sexy she looked that day, how amazing she seemed, with her golden hoop earrings and make-up. She had even straightened her strawberry blond hair for the night, something she hardly ever did. Sophia was proudly wearing a new outfit they had bought her, a matching outfit to go with her older cousin, a dark indigo top with black pants and dress shoes. Sam—in all her suggestive style—wore a white halter top that revealed enough with a blue denim skirt and white strapped heels. Sophia kept staring at Michelle, who was wearing her hair up in a wild 80's style, along with a rather sexy yellow dress and heels, her make-up done in a way that she had to have grown up in the 80's rather than in the present time. Along with them were their two good friends, Katherine—a lovely, charming woman with long curly black hair, a model-perfect body that was being accentuated by her glamorous turquoise dress, and opal black eyes that glimmered in the light, no need for make-up—and Melissa—an old friend that used to watch Sophia, having short black hair cut in a pixie style and a thin frame that looked cute and adorable in her simple green t-shirt under dark blue vest and light blue jeans. Alli just couldn't help but smile at her old friends, having not seen them in a long time.

"Oh, my God, I can't believe we're going to see Criss Angel tonight! He is just so amazing!" Katherine cried out as they started walking towards the entrance of the theater.

"And hot," Sam quickly added. "You know, we saw him yesterday."

"You did?" Michelle and Katherine turned to stare at the two girls, while Melissa—being the sweetheart that she was—merely grinned as they continued their journey.

"Yeah, he showed Sophia a trick and then gave her a twenty," Alli was grateful that she and her friend had agreed not to tell the others about the fact he had asked for her number—even though it took a lot of pleading and kissing-ass in order to ensure it.

"Oh, wow, wasn't that cool, Sophia?" Melissa asked the little girl, who nodded happily.

Alli kept her mouth shut, knowing that at any moment, the words she had been restraining within her throat would come soaring out of her lips, surprising everyone around her. She just simply nodded as she held the child's hand when they came up to the crowded entrance, Michelle handing the six tickets to the usher, and then they were escorted by another towards the front. They chose their seats in the middle of the fifth row from the platform, and they sat down in the warm and scarlet velvet seats. The chandeliers—golden lights that danced shadows across the walls—hovered over them, and Alli looked around as the theater slowly crowded up quickly. Sophia sat next to her, clenching her cousin's hand tightly. They waited patiently, talking quietly amongst themselves of pointless topics before Sophia tugged at Alli's sleeve. She leaned over and the child whispered in her ear.

"The lights are starting to go out," she pointed to the chandeliers, and indeed, the lights were starting to dim. The entire theater was filled, not one seat was left empty, and within only two minutes the lights went completely out, filling the auditorium with darkness. Sophia's grip tightened around her hand—she was afraid of the dark. Alli grinned, thankful that no one could see it through the darkness, and wrapped her arm around the child.

"Do you want to sit in my lap?" she asked the girl softly, whom she saw nod from the darkness in front of her face. Lifting her up out of her seat, Alli placed the child in her lap and wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her there as they watched a small light filter onto the stage. Faint, ghostly music started playing from the speakers around them as the light started to grow along the silhouette of the platform, smoke rising from the light, while a voice started speaking in the background.

"Close your eyes. What do you see? Darkness…and what lies within me. Through my mind's eye, you will awake, and see the lines of reality."

Sophia whimpered a little in fear as the gray smoke rising on the dark platform started turning a bright shade of orange, and then darkened to become another color. A bright, daunting shade of crimson…of blood red.

"Welcome to my mind…FREAK!"

It was a rushing sensation of wind and shudders as the smoke erupted into large and lapping flames of burning fire that seemed to surround and engulf the stage. The heat was real—Alli could feel it as it intensified, as it was burning her own skin—the flames were large, and they rose to the arching ceiling of the theater, shrouding it in warning light and terror. The entire audience gasped in fear and awe as the flames twisted and turned, bending and bowing into a large cyclone of burning flames. They grew larger, hotter, and soon they were no longer shades of red, but burning white and orange flames that seemed to scream fear and horror into every person sitting in the theater. Fear pounded in Alli's heart—_we're going to burn in here_—until the flames exploded in a parade of sparks and fire, wind rushing through the building as they disappeared, and in their place, curtained in a robe of black cloth, silver chains shimmering beautifully in the light of the stage, the toned muscular body exposed to all lustful women's eyes…was Criss Angel.

The audience erupted in applause and cheers, screams and yells of excitement and astonishment. Sophia was screaming and celebrating in the amazement of the act, as well as Alli's friends beside her, but Alli…she was deaf to the noise, she was deaf to the loudness of the audience, the two-minute applause that just seemed to become deaf to her. No noise seemed to enter her mind, nothing. She was entranced when she stared up at the man…hypnotized and fixated on him, as if he had performed the stunt just for her, as if he was here mainly for her. Everything seemed to blur out, and all she could see in the darkness was him, all she could focus on…was the man on the stage.

"Alli, wasn't that amazing!?" Sam cried out next to her, but she only nodded. She couldn't say anything. She was too stunned by him. He literally took her breath away before he said anything to her.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to this show. I am flattered to see so many faces, so many lovely faces." Girls giggled and cheered in the audience at his words, and he grinned rather conceitedly. "This is a special performance of _Mindfreak_, a television show of mine, and I thought it would be nice to show to you just what I am made of. So, welcome, I am Criss Angel, and this is…MINDFREAK!"

There was a loud bang on stage as he threw off the robe on his shoulders, and from the robe flew a family of beautiful, gorgeous white doves that soared from beneath the cloth and into the ceiling, flying over the audience, that awed the amazing effect. Alli was grinning so shy fully behind her cousin's head, gently stroking the black hair of the child, who cheered in impressments. Criss lifted the robe up before it even hit the ground, and he waved it on the stage, from the cloth emerging a large, beautiful white wolf, followed by its cub. The wolf turned to Criss, who looked at it sternly, as if commanding it, and the wolf lifted its cub by the husk, and taking it over to a chair that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Every pack of wolves has two things. It always has the alpha male, and it always has its cubs. This wolf right here," he approached the larger canine, stroking its head lovingly. "It knows whose the alpha male. It won't bite me. It won't growl at me. Because if it does, it knows what I will do to it—and, no, I won't kill it."

Criss snapped his fingers, and the wolf stood on its hind legs, standing up to the man's height. The audience applauded, whereas Alli heard Katherine mutter something in disapproving of the act. Alli rolled her eyes, amazed by what he was doing. The wolf continued to stand on its hind legs, its paws resting on his shoulders, and the cub watched them eagerly, tail wagging. Criss walked away from the wolf—still on its hind legs, the same height as him—and grabbed the robe he had left on the ground. He returned to the creature and laid the robe out on the creature, covering it completely. He paced around the creature, mumbling words that Alli—thanks to her ability to read lips—only seemed to knew, but she kept it to herself.

"Behold—" He took the robe and ripped it away, the stage lighting up in brilliant flames and sparks once again, as the cloth pulled away to reveal the wolf was gone, and there was a man standing in its place, arms outstretched in show, and his hair falling down to his shoulder, his face in similar appearance to Criss'. "My brother, Costa!"

The audience erupted into applause once again, and Alli heard Sam mutter, "wow, good looks must run in the family." Alli just grinned as she watched the men embrace each other and then Criss held his brother's arm up as if symbolizing his victory over him.

"This man is my role model. He kicked my ass so many times as a kid I can't look up to anyone else but him," the audience laughed at his joke, and the men on stage even laughed at it. Alli held Sophia a little closer, watching the display before her, the audience becoming deaf to her, every noise, every cry, every cheer and scream seemed to be nonexistent to her, blaring out into nothingness, only the sound of his voice, only he seemed to stand out to her in the darkness.

Criss Angel performed more amazing and outstanding tricks and illusions, turning the cub into a lovely and beautiful exotic woman—Alli's heart pounded a little harder when he flirted with the woman—making a large and rather immovable stone statue of an angel disappear in a flash of fire, setting himself on fire only to disappear and reappear at the entrance doors among the audience, turning a beautiful white dove that had flown back to him in a flaunting of beautiful light into a large, amazingly beautiful dark raven that flew back over the audience and out an open window on the ceiling. It was about an hour or so into the show before he finally turned back to the audience—having performed a rather disgusting trick involving the familiar woman, a gun, and one bullet in the barrel, a sick, twisted version of Russian Roulette that he had explained he had performed with the rock artist, Jonathan Davis, before—and spoke to them with an impression of swaggering genius.

"For this next act, I need someone from the audience to come up, and to have some help with that, I'm going to have a very special friend of mine come up and choose them. He has been a great and wonderful friend to me, my companion for years, and I love him to death. Ladies and gentlemen, please help me in welcoming…Hamlet!"

He gestured towards stage right, where they all waited with baited breath for the appearance of someone strong, someone great, someone that would blow them all away as Criss Angel's friend. However, no one came. They all stood still, the air did not dare move, and Criss apparently realized that who he was gesturing out was not coming.

"Hamlet!" he called the name, and they all waited. Nothing. "Hammie, will you get out here?"

The entire audience erupted in awes and cheers as out from the curtain of the stage walked a cute little tabby, one that was probably three to five years old. Sophia practically screamed in Alli's lap when she saw the animal, and, in fact, everyone in the audience practically heard her.

"It's a kitty! It's a kitty, Allison! How cute!"

The audience laughed at Sophia's outburst, and Alli looked up to the stage to see Criss Angel staring in the direction she was sitting, apparently now knowing she was among the audience with the little girl. He smiled, and leaned down to the animal, holding his hand out to it. The cat came up to his hand and sniffed it politely, just before the man bent down and lifted the animal into his arms lovingly. The audience awed this, too, and Alli's heart pounded at seeing such a sensitive side to this bad-boy magician.

"This is Hammie, and yes, he's a cat. I love this little guy like my own flesh and blood, I've had him for a long time, and it's an understatement when I say he likes the life of a celebrity," the audience laughed at his words, while the cat squirmed in his arms a little. "He's a prima donna, and he knows it."

Sophia giggled, and Alli's friends laughed at how adorable this was, and then Criss put the animal back down on its feet on the stage, and snapped his fingers so it would sit.

"This cat is also talented. He knows things that I don't know—like how to catch mice and shit like that. Anyways, I'm not going to choose any assistant. Hammie is. I'm going to let him out into the audience, and he will choose someone to help him up here. After all, he has a trick he wants to show everyone," Criss informed the crowd, and Sophia tensed up, anxious to be the one the cat chooses. The man leaned down on the stage to the animal and started nuzzling the top of his head lovingly, just before he whispered into its ear—Alli couldn't make out what he was saying—and then he stood back up just as the cat pounced across the stage and down the steps into the audience.

Everyone in the audience screamed and cried out in excitement—some sneezed from allergies, which was ironic—and then….

Alli gasped when she felt something cross her legs. She closed her eyes and felt a warm, furry sensation at her legs. Sophia felt it, too, and she shrieked out in surprise as she fell into the seat beside Alli. This allowed whatever was at her feet to suddenly jump up into her lap, and the woman was covered with a purring ball of soft fur in her face as the animal leaped into her lap and stood on its hind legs into her face. Smiling and giggling—and hearing muttered whispers of jealousy from her friends—she held the cat in her arms and got up from her seat. She gave Sophia a wink just as she walked past her in the row, and then, with the creature held close to her chest, she wandered through the aisle up to the stage. Criss saw her, and the grin on his face was probably one of uniqueness and sincerity, though the emotion in his eyes she couldn't read.

"Looks like Hammie found someone to help him, and a lovely someone. Good boy, Hammie," Criss muttered to the cat as he took him back into his arms and placed a kiss on his forehead. Alli could hear the audience laugh at his words or awe at how sweet the scene was, but everything seemed to drown out in a blur of stage light, and the only person she could see in the blindness was him. He let the animal down and approached her, the smile on his face something she had never seen before.

"Hello, what is your name, Miss?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.

"Alli," she told him, playing along with the trick as she was starting to see how he manipulated it to his will.

"Alli, it's very nice to meet you," he spoke kindly, and then he pulled his hand—his warm hand comforting and sweet—away and gestured to the chair in the middle of the stage. "If you would be so kind and sit in that chair right there."

She obeyed and walked over to the chair, sitting down as gracefully as she could. She kept her eyes on the animal sitting on the ground beside her, though she could feel Christopher's eyes on her at the same time. The cat looked at her with strong, burning green eyes, and she felt somehow a part of the masterpiece that was painted before her when she sat in the audience. It was like being pulled into such great works, becoming one of the angels taking part in the "_Creation of Adam_."

"Alli?" she turned her head back to him, and she blushed from how close his face was to hers, leaning down to meet her eyes. "I want you to think of a number between one and ten, but don't tell me. I want you to think it in your head, and keep it there, alright?"

She nodded, obeying him. She knew what number she wanted to say, the very number that had lingered on her mind the moment he asked her to think of one.

"Do you have the number?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered him.

"Good. Now, I'm not going to be the one doing the trick, Hammie is. Are you ready, Hammie?" Criss stood up and approached the animal, who looked back up at him innocently. The man then pulled something from his back pocket of his jeans…a deck of cards.

"Hammie loves to use large cards for this trick, it allows him to work better with them than with smaller cards. What I'm going to do is lay the deck out in a circle around him, and then I'm going to leave him, and he's going to pick one of the cards," he explained as he started lying the cards out in a circle around the beast. Once done, he stood up and walked away from the animal—standing directly behind Alli, and placing his hand on her shoulder, making her shudder inside from excitement and embarrassment.

"Alright, Hammie, choose a card."

Alli—who, at the moment, was focused on the fact that this man's hand was on her shoulder—watched the animal as it paced around within the circle of cards. He paced around the circle three times before stopping behind one card. The cat then looked up at Alli—or is it Criss—and then it walked towards her, tapping one card—pushing it an inch or so ahead away from the others—with his front paw just before coming up to her and pouncing onto her lap where he sat possessively on her legs and started purring as she rubbed him. The audience cried out in awe at how the cat was behaving, but Criss wasn't interested in that at the moment. He walked over to the circle, and he looked from it to her.

"Did you see which one he touched?" he asked her, and she nodded, pointing to the one sticking out from the circle. He walked over to it, knelt down, and pointed to it. "This one?"

She nodded, and he grabbed it, standing back up and approaching the front of the stage. He turned to the audience, holding his arms out, but concealing the identity of the card.

"Remember I asked Alli to pick a number between one to ten. Alli," he turned to her, his dark eyes boring into her—_so intense, so brilliant, so hypnotizing_—and he spoke to her in a way that made her feel like she was being commanded by Julian, but not as harsh and terrifying. She didn't feel terrified or afraid around this man. "Alli, what number did you pick?"

"Eight," she replied.

"Eight," he echoed her. He turned the card over in his hand and showed it to her. Her mouth almost dropped, as the card staring at her was nothing but a blank card with a bold number 8 written on it. "Is that your number?"

"Yes," she answered.

"That is the number eight?"

"Yes."

He showed it to the audience, which erupted in cries and applause. "This is her number, number eight. See? Hammie knows things that I don't. Thank you, Hammie."

The cat mewed at him before jumping off of her legs and pouncing across the stage and disappearing behind a curtain. Alli smiled after the animal, but she was unaware that the owner was coming up to her. She didn't know until Criss had grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the chair, a mischievous smile on his face. He pulled her towards him, locking eyes with hers—_sad rain gray eyes with cold, dark, mysterious eyes_—and that cunning smile widened.

"_Just relax, it's okay_," he murmured to her—speaking so softly that she had to lip read in order to know what he was saying—noticing the confused, startled look on her face. He closed his eyes, bringing his hands up to her face, just along her jaw line, resting his fingers just under her ears, yet laying his palms on her throat. He lifted his head, bringing his face a little closer to hers, and he murmured to her again. "_Close your eyes_."

She obeyed him, closing her eyes—it was kind of hard as she wanted to stare at his handsome face a little longer, carving it into her mind and in her dreams—and felt his fingers massage her jaw, just beneath her ears. She heard him whisper something to her, just loud enough for only her to hear.

"I need you to trust me, okay?" he asked of her, and it was like a strong, powerful sensation had overcome her, controlling her, manipulating her freely. The feeling was coursing through her veins, resonating from with the bleak darkness that was behind her eyes, brought on from the sound of the man's dominating, commanding voice, whispering softly from in front of her—_sweetly, softly_—in her ear. She felt his hands beneath her chin, his fingers caressing her flesh along her throat, tilting her head back slightly, just as she tried to mouth a response to him, but she doubted he could read her lips like how she could. She listened to the area around her, listening carefully to the silence of the audience, feeling hundreds of eyes on her body, watching, waiting for her to make a mistake, waiting for her to slip up and show just how vulnerable and weak she really was. She could hear his breathing—faint, yet still close—in front of her, feeling his warm breath touch her lips, hearing his steady…loud…pounding heartbeat in the deafening silence around her. He gently caressed her throat, and then slowly pulled his hands away, brushing the tips of his fingers across her pulse as he brushed them away from her body. In that one moment, it felt like she was just dangling in space, floating in a mist of blackness where no one could find her, no one could reach her, and nothing she said could break the darkness that surrounded her. She exhaled softly, maintaining this calm, still posture in this emptiness, unable to truly respond for fear of falling through this empty space and disappearing into the abyss, never to be heard from again. However, she couldn't withstand the compressing suffocation that was around her, and she had to breathe. She had to take in the air, or else she would die either way.

Alli took in a breath—a sharp, painful, cold breath that flowed fear and terror through her as she felt her body fall backwards. She was falling through the abyss, falling, and no one was going to be able to save her. She had to save herself. She wanted to open her eyes, she tried to, she wanted to be able to see and catch herself before she hit the ground, before she got hurt from the unseen stage beneath her, but she couldn't. She was falling backwards, unstable, she couldn't react, she was falling, and she was going to get hurt. Or worse…she was going to die! She felt her body fell backwards, her feet leaving the stage, and she braced herself for the impact—still and immovable—bracing herself from the unavoidable pain that would come to her as she was about to land on her head….

The pain never came. The pain of crashing into the wooden, hard surface of the stage never came. The air stood still, her lungs hesitating to beat into her bloodstream the last bit of oxygen they had. Her heart froze up into a block of ice as she kept her eyes closed, unsure of what was happening. She wasn't falling anymore. Her feet weren't touching the stage, but she wasn't falling. She was still, hanging in mid-air by something. Someone had grabbed her, had caught her just before she hit the ground. Whoever had caught her, they had saved her life, lighting the darkness with their presence, lighting the bleakness with their existence around her. She felt the person hold her up, and then she felt something amazing wrap around her, something pleasant and sweet. She felt this person, this man—Criss Angel—lift her up into his arms, holding her in a strange, amazing way. He held her in his arms in such a way that her heart pounded, responding resentfully to his actions. While he held her, her body arched backwards across his hands, her long hair falling back towards the stage due to gravity, her right arm swinging from her body and hanging from her body, her fingertips grazing across the wood as he lifted her a little higher, her legs helpless as his hand held her body from beneath her knees, her limbs immobile…paralyzed. She couldn't see anything, but everything else seemed to strengthen, her senses heightening to such a tremendous level. Her sense of touch was heightened, strengthened to a point where she could feel everything, she could feel the cold stillness of the air, the cold wood that just barely brushed against her nails, the smoothness of the fabric of her clothing, the hesitation of her heart in her chest, the warmth…sweet, sweet, tempting warmth of his body, feeling his warm, broad hands hold her up, feeling his warm breath on her, caressing her intimately as he held her to his body. Her sense of smell heightened, as well. She could smell everything. She could smell the light, dancing fragrance of her own perfume—_perfume that he had to have recognized_—the polishing cleaner of the floor, having been cleaned and buffed before the show began, the smells of the clean, flourished room…the smell of his cologne, the scent of his body, the strong, taunting, mocking scent that made unpleasant and exciting thoughts run through her mind, followed by hungry, lustful desires that couldn't be tamed, only restrained. Her sense of hearing….

She heard everything, and then she heard nothing. She heard him so clearly, so distinctively. She could hear his breathing, she could hear his heartbeat…steady, yet racing, pounding against his chest cage. She heard nothing. She couldn't hear the gasps, the awes, and the applause that had erupted beyond the edge of the stage, beyond the horizon of this strange and amazing world that had captivated her, closing in around her, around just the two of them. It was like meant for the two of them, their own personal Eden, they're own little world that had begun to be created the moment she stepped onto the stage. The stage was their world, no one could interrupt or interfere, and all they wanted…all they needed was each other. All she needed was him, and for the moment…this very moment in time, everything about reality swam away, scared off by this man….The reality of her current relationship with Julian…the pain that he had caused her…the pain she had been suffering for a long time…it all vanished into a sea…a nonexistent sea of nothingness. All that existed was her…and this man…together…forever….

Reality came swimming back into her violently and quickly, consuming her darkly as she heard his voice come out in a loud roar from the body that held her, a voice that sounded more dark and malevolent, yet strong and comforting all at once. She pretended to remain in her comatose state, immobile and mute, breathing steady and still as he held her.

"When I was younger I had started to practice the skill of hypnotism, and by the time I was in my twenties, I was able to hypnotize almost about just anyone. The mind is something that interests me, but along with the mind, it is also the heart," he spoke to the audience, which became nothing more than a blank abyss with hundreds of eyes watching her hesitantly, waiting for her to screw up or become conscious, and ruining the scene that he had presented to them. She never dared to do such a thing.

"The heart is such a fascinating organ of the human body. Many people think that it isn't, but it is. It's so complicated, but at the same time, it's so simple to understand. The heart is directly connected to the mind, and it reacts to what the person is thinking or feeling, which is fueled by the heart," he spoke to the audience, but as he spoke, he started to carry her off towards the farther parts of the stage. She felt his arms lower her onto some surface on the stage, and it wasn't until her entire body was lying on the surface and her fingers grazed the top of it, unnoticeable, that she realized she was lying on either a hard wooden table, or some kind of strange, hollow box. She kept her eyes closed, but her ears were open and listening for any sound that might come, though his voice was drowning out any other sound from her ears.

"The heart will react to what charges through the mind at any given second. The mind is connected to thousands upon thousands of nerves within the human body, nerves that feel sensations that allow someone to experience pain, joy, comfort…and _pleasure_," his voice seemed to become more suggestive on that last word, and she practically gasped when she felt his hand find its place on the center of her chest, and her face flowed a light of shade of red when she could feel her heart pounding against his palm. He apparently felt it, as he gently stroked his fore and middle finger against her pulse, finding a pressure point against her neck, and he stroked it, hard, which made her mind focus on the pain inside her neck rather than on the hand on her chest, making her heart calm down and her body still.

"These nerves that are inside the body are called the nervous system, and it allows the person to endure sensations through their body, and these nerves send messages up into the mind, registering them as either painful, joyful, or pleasurable. The mind then sends these feelings to the heart, and the heart reacts to them in a fitting way. For instance, what would happen if I pinched Alli right now?"

Alli had to bite down hard on the inside of her bottom lip as she felt his fingers move to the middle of her arm and pinched, pulling at the skin with two fingers, forcing a horrible, sharp sting to run through her body. However, her heart was racing viciously against the pain, pounding, racing, thrumming in her chest against his hand. A sound came to her ears, loud, echoing, racing through the speakers of the theater. And it wasn't until she listened closely to the sounds of the theater and the sound of her own pounding heart to realize what it was.

_Bum—bum bum--bum—bum bum—bum…._

Alli couldn't hear the sound of the audience's gasps as they listened to her own racing heart echoing loudly through the theater, as if a microphone had been set up against her chest. She remained still and motionless as he took his fingers away from her.

"Her heart starts to race. Pain causes the heart to race in a certain pattern, one-two-one-two. It's interesting how the heart can give certain patterns. What would happen if I tickled her, though?"

She had to bite her lip hard this time to suppress the laughter and her will to move away, but she couldn't restrain the smile that was crossing her lips as she felt his fingers move across her arm in a quick, tickling movement, leaving the sensation running through her body, and her heart pacing at a different pattern, echoing through the theater.

_Bum bum—bum bum—bum bum—bum bum…._

"Her heart races a different pattern this time. It's a pattern of joy. Yet, I wonder what pattern her heart will give if I…kiss her…."

Alli's heart was pounding even before she felt his hand press against her chest, before she felt him leaning down, before she could hear his breathing grow louder and louder. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, everything seemed to slowing down for her, and she couldn't react. Her mind was racing all at once, her heart pounding and drumming like that of one during a marching band. She felt ice form in her throat, she felt her stomach knot into a painful tie, and she was arguing with herself within her mind about whether or not to allow him to kiss her, while all at once fearing that it was her heartbeat she was hearing from the speakers.

_Bum bum bum—bum bum bum bum—bum bum bum bum—bum bum bum…._

She opened her eyes only a little, not even noticeable, only to see him less than an inch from her face, to see his eyes—_those beautiful dark eyes_—closed as he leaned closer, and she could feel his breath caressing her lips, warming her skin lightly. Her heart was probably racing its hardest when she felt his lips brush against hers, her chest heaving a little under his hand, and then he mouthed something—she couldn't see it through her dark lashes—and then pulled away completely from her, allowing her to close her eyes and calm herself down, his hand removed from her chest and the theater turning silent.

"The heart is such an amazing thing, but it is also a scary thing." She couldn't see him moving across the stage to retrieve the cloak he had discarded earlier in the show, but she could hear him, and she heard the rustling of the cloak against the wooden stage as he moved back over to her. She could hear his boots against the surface as he walked over to her, and she felt the cloak being dragged over her body—such a soft, velvety texture, leaving her fingers tingling as they lifted only to touch the material of it—covering her face. This allowed her to open her eyes, unable to see anything through the black material. But she heard him; she heard his footsteps moving away back towards the horizon of the world that had surrounded them.

"As a child, a heartbeat can be the most comforting thing in the world," as he said this, the sound of a steady heartbeat came on from the speakers of the theater—_bum bum—bum bum—bum bum—bum bum…. _"I remember as a child lying on my mother's chest to hear her heartbeat, and I remember the comfort I received from it. But as I got older, I became aware of these machines that were hooked up to people in hospitals, and I could hear the heartbeat through the machine. And then, I heard the scariest sound of all. It's the sound of not hearing anything. Everyone knows what it means when you can't hear another heartbeat. Everyone knows that it strikes fear through you when you know, that after hearing nothing, that someone…has died."

Alli would have screamed, but she found it impossible as no sound could come from her throat as the surface beneath her, the surface that held her up and kept her in the light of this new and magical world of her own personal Eden with this illusionist suddenly gave way from beneath her, and she felt herself falling…falling silently through a black abyss, the light of this great world suddenly disappearing into a darkness and silence of her own death….


	8. Backstage Secrets

Chapter VIII: Backstage Secrets 

"Ow…."

It was all Alli really could say as she laid in the blackness that was both cold and warm, both soft and hard. She felt dazed and her head felt like it was spinning violently on her shoulders. She was lying on something that was like a mattress, a leather mattress, like ones you would find set out during gymnastic practice. She looked around, feeling a cold draft crawl up her spine as she allowed her rain gray eyes to adjust to the darkness around her, seeing silhouettes of wooden pillars and formations through the bleakness, and she heard faint applause from above her. She looked around, feeling suddenly claustrophobic as she crawled around slightly on her hands and knees, measuring in her mind how far up the ceiling was from her, and how large the room was. Not that much. She crawled around, trying to think, trying find some way out of this chamber, and at a moment when she felt like a trapped, caged animal, her fingers slid against something in the wall, feeling the cracks and metal hinge of what was a small…door. She slowly pushed the door open, and light filtered into the room from an unknown source, lighting the room just enough for her to look back and see just exactly how large the room was, taking in exact detail of this place. It was a little larger than she had thought, enough for any full grown adult to crawl through without colliding into anything in the dark, and there was a large tunnel crawling upwards, large enough for anyone fall down from it and land safely on the large safety mats on the ground. Apparently, that was how the substitution illusions were performed, and what she had fallen down from. She grinned a little cockily, knowing that she had something she could use against Christopher in the future if she needed to. _I'm starting to sound like Sam_, she thought to herself.

Alli swung her legs over the threshold of the door, realizing that the level she was on was three feet above solid, steady ground, and she pushed herself off to wear she tried to land "_gracefully_" on the heels of the boots she wore. She took a breath, closing her eyes only for a moment in order to regain that composure that she had lost long ago, and then looked around to see just where exactly she was. It was the busiest place she had ever been, people were running about, talking and yelling loudly to each other, throwing out commands and orders to each other in order to end the show. There were several stands filled props, several technical machines hooked up to lights, speakers, and who knows what else, people were pulling at ropes and pullies, make-up and wardrobe was being applied or taken off by multiple people, and Alli found herself standing in a blank, faceless sea of silhouettes that never noticed she was there, a shadow in the sea of nameless, faceless figures moving in multiple directions with no idea as to where they were meant to be originally.

The young woman couldn't think, couldn't stay in this place for very long. Her mind was being pulled in the same directions as the people were moving, being torn, searching for a way for an escape. Her eyes scanned, searching, and eventually she saw a neon green sign that read "_EXIT_." She moved herself towards the sign—being shoved and pushed out of the way by several rude and inconsiderate people—but as she made her way towards that spot where the sign was, feeling her body suddenly become exhausted and weak. As she reached the spot, she pushed open the door, trying to remain unnoticed by anyone around, and she stepped into the cool, dark night. The sky was pitch black, and—although she was hoping to see some—the stars were blotted out by the lights of the theater and the city. The cool air was relaxing and refreshing, sweet and comforting. She took a further step out, and in only a brief, flashing moment, just before she stepped all the way out and closed the door behind her, she felt something—someone—grab her arm from behind with such a strength and force, a scream was forced to escape from her lips—one that should've escaped when she fell through the trapdoor.

"No! Let me go!" she screamed as she spun around, trying to act on the same instincts that had coursed through her all her life, trying to fight off whatever asshole was trying to rape her now.

"Alli, calm down."

It was like a large weight had been lifted off of her, and she blinked to find herself being pushed against the wall on the outside of the building, her heart pounding hard in her chest from fear and terror, her body reacting on its instincts of fighting off anyone who touched her, anyone whom she believed wanted to harm her. She was such a spastic! She looked up into the face of the man who had grabbed her, realizing that half of him was outside, holding her against the wall, while the other half of him was still inside the building, keeping the exit door from closing and locking them both out. It took her a moment to recognize that those dark, hypnotizing eyes didn't mean her harm. She stared into those eyes, and a strange sensation floated through her, one of running her fingers through those dark strands that was his hair. Her will was too strong to submit to these desires, but she wanted to so badly….

"Alli, where are you going?" he asked of her politely, but there was look in his eyes, as if he didn't want her to leave.

"I'm going to go find my friends. The show was amazing, Christopher, but I really have to go," she told him, trying to pull out of his arms. He released her, but she didn't move anywhere away from him. She was frozen, immobile to do anything if it meant moving away from him.

"Then…then let me walk you back. The parking lot is quite a walk away, and it's not safe for a woman to walk around these alleys alone. Let me walk you back," he offered, but she really didn't want him to. Something just kept bothering her that it was a bad idea, but that was only twenty percent of herself. The rest of her wanted to walk back to where her friends were with him, and even cling to his arm a little.

"No, I'm…I'm okay, Criss. I know how to take care of myself," she told him, taking a step away from him—a part of her wanted to give an act of being too weak to stand and collapse against the wall, but she wasn't _that_ pathetic.

"Alli, please, just do this favor for me. Let me walk you back to the parking lot. There you can find your friends and I'll leave you alone. I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer," he told her bluntly.

"You usually don't," she muttered to herself, remembering how Sam had gone behind her back to give this man her phone number after she told him politely no. Luckily, he didn't hear her, so she decided to do the right thing, not really wanting to have to deal with any perverted bastards lurking in the alleys, and she turned to him, smiling. "Alright, Christopher, if you feel it's best."

The smile that crossed his face was a cute one at best. She couldn't help but turn a little red when she fell into the attractiveness in that grin. She watched as he fumbled with the handle of the door, and then he allowed it to close only ajar, that cocky, arrogant grin playing on his lips. He then approached her, and she got a better look at him under the streetlamp casting a golden light through the alley, and her face turned a steamy hot red. This man was a _GOD!!!(A/N: my own words_) His body was toned and muscular, his arms strong and seemed to be perfectly built in a way to match with the rest of his body. He was so hot, she couldn't believe it, and his muscles literally glistened in the light, making him even more breath-taking. She had to turn around and face away from him just to allow herself to recollect whatever she had lost in only a brief of a second.

"What's wrong?" he asked her simply. She turned back to him, faking a smile so he wouldn't be able to see the embarrassment and anxiety that had apparently laid its eggs along her cheek bones.

"Nothing's wrong. Let's go," she told him quickly, but what happened next seemed to surprise everything out of her, completely making her wish to jump out of her skin.

The illusionist came up to her quickly, his smile broad and cunning, and with a warm, strong hand, he gently grabbed hold of her wrist, and dragged her out of the alley, towards the warm, flowing light that was the streetlamp bathing the black pavement with its golden light that shimmered like a dark lake at night. As they came towards the street, Alli could hear shouts and yells of excitement and enjoyment, cries of happiness and joy, and voices of pleasure from the show they had just observed. She felt a sudden uneasiness overcome her when she wondered what would happen if people saw this man who held her arm, and this resulted in her hand being clenched so hard into a fist that she actually felt the hot pain of her own nails stabbing into the flesh of her palm. He apparently noticed her action, as he stopped just before they went further into the street and turned to her with a smug grin that made all those handsome features of his burn even greater.

"Don't be so tense. Relax," he told her, but her fist just rolled back even harder into itself, and he shook his head, as if aggravated with her. He raised her wrist, his dark eyes lingering on it, tracing the lining of her digging nails, seeing the rising droplets of crimson blood that she had caused herself to weep. That smile of his grew broader, and she watched—with a pounding, racing heart and blood-vessel broken face—as he slipped his fingers onto her palm and forcefully broke hers from her palm, lacing his fingers with hers. She looked from his hand clenching hers to his face, and his dark eyes masked what she was trying to see. "You can't make me bleed, no matter how sharp your nails are. Just relax, this will help."

Alli couldn't speak a sarcastic response. Her throat had gone dry, her tongue seemed to swivel up in her mouth, and her mind went blank of any thought to speak to him in either response or retaliation to this action. He continued to grin, giving himself a competent gaze that only a conceited man would give. Without saying another word, he dragged her out into the street, guiding her dominantly, and Alli couldn't help but close her eyes, trying to restrain these strange and compulsive feelings that were coming over her. His hand was so warm, it seemed to fit almost too perfectly in her cold and shivering fingers, she could feel his strength pulsating through his palm and seemed to be lifting her up into him, gliding her willingly over the black pavement. She kept feeling herself grow weaker around him—_God! I am such a hopeless fan girl!_

"Alli, tell me something."

His voice came out of the darkness from behind her eyes, and she opened them, trying to find his, but couldn't through the curtain of dark hair that fell down the side of his face. She swallowed, trying to moisten that dry throat of hers.

"Yeah?" Her voice sounded like a choking frog, and she had to look down in shame at how idiotic and impetuous she was right now.

"Yesterday…how come you couldn't give me your number? How come your friend had to give it to me instead?" Christopher asked of her, but she didn't look up to meet his eyes. She couldn't. Her mind was racing all at once, and out of nowhere, a painful shock erupted from the corner of her mind, and gave new life to that nearly healed bruise on the side of her face. An image floated to her mind, one that she was hoping she could easily forget. _The d__ark skin, dark hair, and dark, cold, haunting eyes…eyes that brought about the memories of pain, torture, suffering, and the haunting knowledge of being trapped, of being bound to something you despised so much._

"Christopher…" her grasp on his hand tightened, and she even had to wrap his between both of hers, as if trying to clutch at the last bit of escape that she could keep before the truth came out from her lips and brought her back to the horrible, troublesome reality. "I didn't want to give you my number because…I have…a boyfriend."

He stopped in his steps, and she stopped, as well, right behind him, both hands wrapped around his. She felt her heart pounding so hard in her chest, it actually felt like she was back in the theater, her heartbeat drumming out of the speakers around her. But…her heart was actually pounding much louder than that, much harder, and she had to bite her bottom lip just to maintain herself from shedding tears of shame and pain. She felt like she had lead this man on, but she knew she hadn't as she never inquired any romantic or flirtatious actions or suggestions to him. Could it be, perhaps, she was the one who was charmed over by him?

"So, you have a boyfriend?"

He didn't look at her. He didn't turn to face her. He just stood still, his back to her, but his voice came out in a way that not only scared her, but made her tremble inside. He kept his hand in hers, but she feared that the grip he had on her had declined substantially, and it was herself that kept it between her palms. She looked down, trying to keep her face from showing just what she was feeling.

"Yes."

For a moment, neither one of them spoke, and Alli was actually tempted to just pull away and walk towards the parking lot without him. But she couldn't, she just couldn't pull herself from him. After a moment, he finally spoke to her again.

"Well, I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to. I mean, if I was your boyfriend, I know that I wouldn't want you giving your number out to other men. But…I wasn't asking for it because of that."

Alli's face flowed even deeper red, and she lifted her head, searching for his eyes once more. He didn't turn to look at her, but his head turned just slightly towards her, and his voice seemed to soften a little more as he spoke.

"Do you remember what I said when I asked you for it? Do you remember what my reason was?" he asked her, though she could tell he was smiling that arrogant grin of his from her. She thought for a moment, and then the memory came back to her.

_"…__ Just so I can perform some tricks for you and your daughter here…."_

"Yes, I remember. But that's not exactly a good reason. You could've asked for my address, or asked for my e-mail," she pointed out to him. She could sense that grin of his broadening into a playful, curious one.

"True, but I think your boyfriend would be even more worried if you gave your address to me, and I can't exactly perform tricks for you and Sophia through an e-mail. That's why I asked for your number, that way your boyfriend won't '_catch_' me coming out the front door and it'll be easier for me to contact you over the phone to see if you wanted to meet somewhere."

He turned to Alli, he looked at her, he smiled at her, and he made the coldness inside her that had been growing seem to dissipate in a hungry flame of desire and relief. She felt her heart relax a little, feeling his hand grip hers a little tighter, and then she closed her eyes just for a quick moment, smiling as she did so. She looked back up at him, those dark eyes of his filling her with so much emotion and warmth, she felt as if reality truly departed from her, leaving her in this blissful world of fantasy and freedom.

"I guess your right," she told him, tilting her nose away from him in a snobbish sort of manner, playfully teasing him. They continued to walk down the street towards the gated parking lot, and she decided to quickly point something out to him that he had been believing for a while now. "Just as an FYI, Sophia isn't my daughter."

"She isn't?" he sounded bewildered, but at the same time, interested.

"No, she isn't. I'm twenty-one. She's eight. I would have to have been thirteen in order to have had her," she quickly pointed out to the older man.

"I would've thought so. You look way too young to be a mother of an eight-year-old," he responded.

"You would think so," Alli grinned a little. _With the way the world is today, there's no telling how old a girl can be to have a child_, she thought.

"So, if she isn't your daughter, then who is she?" he asked curiously.

"She's my cousin."

"Oh."

It was a cute thing to have heard come from him. The look on his face, one of being proved wrong, showing that he, the Great Criss Angel, was not perfect, and could not do anything, nor know everything. She couldn't help but grin at what she saw and heard, but this moment of pleasure and happiness was stopped abruptly as a familiar voice called out from the depth darkness of the parking lot they had stepped into.

"Alli! Alli, where were you?!"

The young woman looked up to see another with dark red hair and soft brown eyes running towards her, despite the fact she was wearing white strapped heels that were practically impossible to run in. Accompanying her was a little eight-year-old girl with long dark hair, a woman dressed in a sexy yellow dress, another wearing a glamorous turquoise blue dress, and the last was a shy girl with short ebony hair and clashing under the streetlight with her green t-shirt, blue vest. The girls ran towards her, but all stopped dead as they saw that the man beside her—holding her hand!—was the one man they had all come to see and known as the handsome, hot, mysterious Criss Angel. Sam's eyes fell on Alli's shy and nervous gray eyes, and then trailed down to where her hands were wrapped around his, and she then approached her friend.

"Alli…" she pulled the young woman away from the man—Alli could hear Michelle, Katherine, and Sophia all giggling and screaming at the magician, excited to see him—and spun her on the spot to face her. "What do you think you're doing with him?"

"Nothing, Sam. It's fine," Alli responded politely to her friend, who continued to give her a weird gaze.

"Where did you go? We've been looking for you for like ever!" Sam muttered under her breath, yet loud enough to where Alli didn't have to read her lips to know what she was saying.

"Sam, calm down. I'm fine. Everything's okay."

"Did you fuck him?"

"What?"

"Did…you…_fuck_…him?"

Alli couldn't believe what she was hearing from her friend. She glared at her friend, staring into her brown eyes hard, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. A look of expectancy, as if she was expecting her to have already had sex with this man, despite the fact that she had only known him for a couple of days—the bus ride doesn't count, as only she and him knew about that day.

"No, I didn't," she told her friend sternly, feeling practically violated just by being asked such a crude question. "I'm not some random groupie, Sam. I don't want to sleep with him."

"You…you don't…" her friend looked like she was about to faint just by the fact Alli had said she didn't want to have sex with the man. "_You_…don't want to have sex with…_that_!"

She pointed to the man behind her, and she even purred a little when she gazed at his muscles hungrily, practically undressing him and going after him like an animal in heat just by looking at him. Alli felt embarrassed just by knowing this woman.

"Don't say it like he's a thing. He's a human being—"

"Oh, honey, he's not human. He is a _GOD_! I can't believe you don't want to sleep with a God!"

"Shut up. And no, I don't. Have you forgotten about Julian? He is my boyfriend, remember?"

"So what? Julian's an asshole. He may be your boyfriend, but Criss is your _lover_."

"Shut up!"

"What are you guys talking about?"

Alli blinked in only a nanosecond, just enough time to allow herself to see that the man had come up to where the two women were, watching them as if watching a humorous television show. Alli's hands were close to Sam's throat, while Sam was preparing to grapple Alli should such a strangling come to her while laughing. The two of them pulled away, and both turned their eyes from the other, while both muttered "nothing" is response to the man's question.

"Sami and Allison always fight! They're like sisters!" Sophia chirped up from beside the magician, and Alli looked to see that the child was smiling back at her, holding the man's hand like a daughter would hold her father's.

"Do they, now? Do they ever make-up like sisters?" he asked her playfully, and Sophia nodded, but she didn't say anything, as Sam spoke up before anyone could.

"We live together, we both pay rent. We have to get along, otherwise the other will be short half an apartment."

Everyone laughed at Sam's words, though Alli couldn't take her eyes off of Christopher, standing in front of her like a messenger from the skies. He presented himself like someone that seemed to mean something incredible, something amazing, but whatever that meaning was, it was hidden deep inside him, and it was her job to try and find it. Yet in finding it, she was willing to give something up, a sacrifice, if you will, and at the moment, she wasn't in any hurry to make such rash decisions for herself and Sophia.

"Well, I have to go before my brother sends out a search and rescue team, and by that, I mean my mother," laughter erupted from the corner of the parking lot again. "Thank you for coming to the show, everyone."

He beamed at all the women around him and shook little Sophia's hand before he started walking towards the exit of the parking lot that was behind Alli. He approached her, but that smile that was on his face was a strange and peculiar one. She continued to watch him, her gray eyes lingering on his body as he walked through the exit, but stopped just outside of it. He turned to her, the grin broader now than ever, yet its emotions hidden and undetectable beneath his demeanor. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and in that brief moment, reality swirled away just for a second, fading into oblivion, just for her…just for the two of them. His dark eyes met hers, his smile warmed her soul, and then…he pulled out of it, bringing reality back to her, and she continued to watch as he slowly walked away from her…her God in a world of sin, her escape route from this sick and twisted reality….

* * *

_(A/N: Sorry about not updating soon enough. I've been having some personal issues. Thank you to all who have reviewed, and I hope you will continue to do so. Peace!)_


	9. Love Isn't Numb

Chapter IX: Love Isn't Numb

Days had started to go by almost unnoticeably by Alli, Sam, and Sophia after the magic show they had attended. Alli—although putting on an act of not really caring or remembering what had happened—attended college classes on scheduled days like normal, meeting up with friends and familiar faces who continuously brought up the fact she had held hands with the amazing Criss Angel, and took care of Sophia as if nothing at all had happened over the weekend. A part of her actually believed that those past two days were nothing more than dreams to her, pleasant, sweet dreams that made her hopes of an escape from this life of hers was really a possibility. Sam kept bringing up the fact of that night, though, whenever she could, and Sophia tried to recreate the tricks using whatever items she could, particularly trying to get her stuffed animals to disappear as Christopher had done to Alli. It seemed to be magic fever in the apartment complex, and things weren't any less complicated when Julian arrived every night, forcing Sam to quiet herself against speaking about the show that Julian knew nothing about. Alli's boyfriend, though, has been acting strange for some odd reason, taking Alli out unexpectedly to restaurants and movie theaters, surprising her with special gifts, even showing up after one class to give her a bouquet of red roses and a box of chocolates.

"I wanted to make up for what I did the other day. It was wrong, and I'm sorry," he had told her when she questioned what his motives were. Although she had forgotten for the time being, the now healed bruise on her face reminded her of what he was speaking of.

"It's just an act, Alli. He's trying to get on your good side because he knows he's in the dog house with you. He knows you have the power to just get up and leave, and so he's kissing some ass just to stay with you," Sam had told her one night while the two of them were preparing dinner for the three girls—Sam's family recipe of rib stew.

"I don't think so. I think he means it. I know he does. I know he loves me," Alli had argued to her friend while chopping up celery sticks to throw into the broth that was boiling in the crock-pot.

"And the Nile is a river in Egypt, honey," Sam told her darkly, but Alli just shook her head. Sam decided to bring up an old, but favorite, topic to the girl while they played in the kitchen.

"What would happen if it was Criss Angel instead of Julian who surprised you after class with those roses and chocolates?" she asked her friend, who secretly smiled and tilted her rain eyes up at the lovely bouquet resting in the blue glass vase on the counter, filled to the rim with water.

"I don't know. It depends if I was still with Julian or not," she replied.

"No, you can't play that card, Alli. Tell me the truth, tell me what is on your mind, what you want to do to that gorgeous magician," Sam clicked the edge of her knife against the chopping board, and the two girls grinned at each other. Sam should've known better that despite Alli's knowledge of the sexual world, she honestly didn't know what she would do, as she was still a virgin of innocence.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."

"Kind of figured. You are such a virgin!"

"And proud of it!"

The three girls sat down for dinner that night and ate peacefully, the adults watching the child trying to attempt to make her stuffed kitty disappear under the table cloth, and Alli made a show of performing the trick for Sophia, hiding the kitty under the table cloth in front of her, and then pulling it out and under the table when the little girl wasn't looking. After dinner, Sophia pleaded with Alli to watch a television show, and she ended up giving into it, allowing the girl to go into the living room to turn the TV on while the two of them cleared the table.

"You should show Sophia the card trick you used to do back in Middle School?" Sam suggested.

"You think?" Alli went into her room quickly to grab a deck of cards, slip it into her pocket, and then come back out to the living room. Sophia was watching a personal favorite cartoon of Sam's and Alli's, "_Invader Zim_," when the two of them joined her on the couch to watch.

"After this I want to watch '_The Soup_'," Sam sounded like a little child, practically fighting with someone who was thirteen years younger than her over what television show to watch.

"No, I want to watch '_South Park_' after this!" Alli pouted her bottom lip—practically teaching Sophia to do this trick.

"I want to watch _'Zoey 101_'!" Sophia argued.

"I want to watch '_The Soup_'," Sam replied.

"I have an idea. Here, let me see."

Alli took the remote out of Sophia's hand—being given the same pouting look that she had just given to them from the little girl—and leaned over, pressing the "channel up" button on the remote, the channels flashing before the screen until she at last stopped when a black screen came on with words written in white words appeared on the screen with a red "_WARNING_" above them.

_"The stunts and illusions performed on this program were designed and tested by Criss Angel, a highly-trained professional. These demonstrations are extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone, anywhere, at any time."_

The screen suddenly faded, but in its place was a scene of a beautiful desert at a dark, omniscient sunset, a hole in the middle of the sand burning with fire, the orange flames lapping at a sheet of paper written with black, faint ink that read "_MINDFREAK:\Mind freak\ h 1: a modern day mystifier who utilizes skills beyond the category of magic. 2. The result of something incomprehensible. 3.Supernatural, 4: Criss Angel_." while a woman began chanting a faint, eerie tone of "_Tonight only, tonight only_."

At once the desert erupted into an explosion, a figure leaping out from the crater, shadows dancing across them as the light of it swept across them, showing their identity to the camera. From their arms flew a flock of lovely white doves into the air, and the camera approached the man to show his face, the long dark hair that cast shadows across his face, the burning dark eyes that showed the true mystery and darkness of the opening scene as a hard rock song began to play as the theme.

_"I am the Mindfreak! Mindfreak! There's no reality! Just this world of illusion that keeps on turning me! I am the Mindfreak! Mindfreak!"_

"Oh, my God!" Sam's voice was faint and distorted through the sound of the theme, but Alli couldn't take her eyes off of the screen, watching as mirrors flew up from the desert ground, showing scenes of the man performing stunts—walking on water, levitating off the top of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, being dragged violently by a racecar through a sandy obstacle course, the man being ran over by a steamroller, (Alli's stomach churned violently at the sight of that)—and then it went back to the man who lifted a cape from the ground and outstretched it across his arms, only to drop it to reveal five people standing behind him, two little boys, an older man, a beautiful woman, and a little older woman. The camera retrieved a close-up of the man's right eye, which turned into a clock whose hands were spinning wildly into a white screen showing the people behind him in a collage of pictures. Finally, the scene broke to show the man screaming the name of the show at the camera four times for the name of the show to appear across the screen in front of his face, and then at last stopped with a close-up of his face speaking to the camera, _"Are you ready?"_

"Wow," it was all Sam could say, while Sophia was giggling excitedly between the two women, crawling off the couch, only to take a seat in front of the television to watch it better. It was out of Alli's motherly-instincts to correct the child's actions.

"Pretty Sophie, don't sit so close to the TV. You'll hurt your eyes," she told her, and the little girl scooted back by only a foot or so. Alli could only say that for the moment, after having seen the very opening of the television show she had just learned was made and starred the man she had just met these past two days. She bit her bottom lip hard—_the image of the steamroller driving over him was fresh and clear_—and she bowed her head, the voices and sounds of the television show playing loud in the apartment.

"I am so glad you changed the channel!" Sam told her playfully, but she was too shocked at the moment to come up with a response to her friend. She merely nodded, and sat there for a moment in silence while her roommate and cousin continued to watch the show. No more than ten minutes had passed when the show cut to commercial, and a loud, rattling knock came to the apartment front door. Both adults looked at each other, knowing that neither one had been planning on inviting anyone over that night.

"You weren't expecting anyone, were you?" Alli asked of her friend, knowing her habit of inviting men over late at night. But the sincere look in her eyes and the shake of her head answered her question. Alli got up from the couch, and went over to the door just to look out through the peephole.

A familiar face beamed at her from the other side of the door, the dark skin, the dark hair, the dark—threatening—eyes. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, as this man hardly ever came over to the apartment, and usually when he did, it always resulted in something happening that she didn't want Sophia exposed to. But, she couldn't just leave him outside and pretend he's not there. That would lead to even more confrontation and problems, and usually it would be worse than what she would plan. She swallowed her anxiety—her side hurting from this action—and opened the door to find her boyfriend standing there, smiling proudly at her.

"Hey, baby, thought I'd drop by and see you!" Julian beamed at her, and she faked a smile, putting on the mask of happiness and joy that she was used to showing to so many people.

"Hey. Would you...would you like to come in?" Sam is so going to kill me, she thought to herself. But it was on instinct, pure initiative nature, that she allowed him into the house. Julian looked from his beloved to the red head sitting on the couch, who quickly looked up to give him a surprise, yet hateful glare from those brown eyes of hers. He then looked at Sophia who was sitting on the floor, watching the television show, ""

"Julian, what are you doing here?" Sam asked of the man, who grinned sadistically at her, as if he didn't care what she was going to say or what she was thinking of him at the moment. It wasn't like he ever did.

"A boy can't come over and see his babe every once in a while?" Julian mocked her, but the friendly, playfulness that was once on Sam's face quickly dissipated into a flame of restrained furry and hate for him. Luckily, Sophia was too busy watching the show to see this. Yet, when Alli joined them in the living room, the air was so tense, she could easily see the line of breakage if she cut it with a butter knife. Julian turned to her, smiling after seeing an empty box of chocolate candies on the nightstand. "I'm glad you liked them. That box cost me ten dollars, you know."

"Thank you," Alli was hesitant to say anything else to him, nervous and uneasy to speak of anything to this man. She didn't want him here, point-blank! This man always caused situations to rise up and result in her going to bed early, tears streaming down her face from pain and terror. She didn't want Sophia exposed to that lifestyle, she didn't want her little cousin to be harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally. Around him, though, that was nearly impossible.

"So, where were you this past weekend? You didn't call me, or anything," Julian's voice brought her out of her thoughts of taking the child out of this apartment and somewhere safe for her. She looked up into him, but Sam could already see heart-breaking emotions form in her rain gray eyes.

"I'm sorry, I've just been busy," she told him quietly, her hands trembling at her side from fear. She tried to make herself think of something that would make her less nervous, but not even the thought of how he brought her roses and candy could make this shaking tension fade away from her.

"Too busy to call me? That sounds a little fake, don't you think, babe?" he asked of her, those dark eyes of his stiffening and hardening, becoming colder and sharper in only a brief of a second.

"I'm sorry. With school and everything, I didn't have time to call you. I'm sorry," Alli apologized quickly, but she knew that he never heard her apologies, he never heard anything he said. Then he spoke something that made me wish that the little girl wasn't in the room.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, bitch. Who were you with?"

Alli looked into her boyfriend's eyes, feeling that cold, shivering sensation of fear strum through her, taking hold of her, and filling her to the rim with terror. Sophia—out of instinct of correcting any curse word she heard—turned her head to see the man approach her cousin, and in those soft emerald eyes was a look of surprise, and shock, but in a bad way. Something that Alli hoped she would never see in the child's face.

"What? I wasn't with anyone. I swear!" Alli tried to defend herself.

"Stop lying to me! You were with someone! You always call me! You're supposed to!" Julian's voice was rising, threatening, and Alli was shaking physically with anxiety and fear that something horrible was about to happen.

"Hold up! She's not supposed to do anything!" Sam jumped to her feet, but Julian turned on his heel to face the woman.

"Keep out of this, Sam! This doesn't concern you!" he bellowed at her, and Alli looked down to see Sophia's eyes were filling with tears of horror and fear. Alli met Sam's brown eyes, and neither one of them had to say anything. Sam leaned down to the child and touched her shoulder gently.

"Come on, Sophia, it's your bedtime," Sam told her sweetly, but Sophia was pulling away, keeping her fear-filled emerald green eyes on her older cousin.

"No, I want to stay!" she argued against her.

"Sophia, come on. This is grown-up stuff!" Sam told her, trying to maintain her sweet, soft voice while trying to pull the child to her feet and drag her to her room. She succeeded in getting the girl to her feet, but she kept on fighting and trying to get out of her grasp as she was being pulled towards the hallway.

"No! No! I'm staying!"

"Sophia!"

Silence filled the apartment, the air was tense and still. The two girls in the hallway looked at the college student standing in the living room, her head bowed, her strawberry blond hair falling in front of her face. She hardly ever called the child by anything but her nickname given to her from her, but even if she did, her voice had never risen to such great heights and measures, as if yelling at the child for disobeying her. The little girl's eyes filled with even more tears, but she no longer fought against the woman's hold on her wrist.

"Allison...Alli...?" the child's voice sounded almost like a whimper. It was a heart-breaking sound, tearing at every inch of the woman's heart until there was nothing left, but the main thing on her mind was to keep her out of the room, to keep her innocence and purity alive and well. She had never yelled at this child before, she had never spoken harshly to her, but if it meant keeping her away from this twisted reality, then so be it.

"Go to bed, Sophia," she told her coldly, but she didn't dare look up for fear of seeing those emerald eyes show nothing but pain and fear of seeing only a fraction of the cruel world that she had been shielded from.

Sam dragged the mute Sophia into the hallway, and the two of them disappeared into the bedroom, where she was safe from the darkness and horror that Alli had been trying to keep her from. Once knowing that the little girl was no longer exposed to it, she turned her gray eyes onto the man, trying to keep her calm and collected—_brave_—composure, but inside, she was shaking and trembling like nothing before. She knew what was coming, there was no avoiding it, but at least the innocent didn't have to bare witness to it.

"I haven't been with anyone, Julian. I've just been busy lately. My schoolwork has been getting harder, my life is getting more complicated. I was planning on calling you yesterday, after I got back, but your phone was busy," she quickly explained herself, though trying to keep out the fact that she had gone out yesterday to a magic show with her friends and hoping that the topic of the man she has been secretly admiring wouldn't come up. Only Sam knew about it, but poor little Sophia knew nothing about secrecy or importance in keeping certain things to herself, one reason—though minor in her real motives—Alli told her to go to bed.

"Don't give me that bullshit, bitch! You're lying to me!"

It was horrible—yet, not unfamiliar—sensation to have been the back of someone's hand strike her across the face so hard that the pain would resonate from her cheek to her entire body and succumb her entirely. It was frightening, but not surprising. She didn't fall…not yet. She was still on her feet, stumbling, but quite fine. The moment the hand had touched her, her rain gray eyes had flown down towards the ground and the room around her blurred into a spiraling darkness that came over her, dancing crazily on the horizon of her consciousness. She felt that pain run through her veins, a striking sting that seemed to feel as if a python's fangs had claimed shelter within her jaw line and the venom was just as sharp and hot, flowing through her. She closed her eyes—_can't lose consciousness, not now—_and she opened them again, feeling that sensation run through her violently, quickly, but not so to where it will take hold of her completely. She was trying so very hard to keep her mind from spinning wildly into the shadows—_the tempting, dancing, seducing shadows_—and keep herself well awake and conscious just to live through this moment. She grabbed hold of the edge of the lamp-stand, keeping herself up and steady, trying to stumble back onto her two feet again.

"You're a filthy, disgusting liar! Tell me! Tell me now! Who were you with, you stupid whore?!"

A whimper—not even that, the sound a poor, defenseless animal would make when having its ribs kicked in by a sadistic, merciless, Satan-possessed child—escape the woman's lips as something hard—something black and metal—tried to crush itself against the side of her head, and she couldn't keep herself standing for much longer. The blackness in her head was growing denser, deeper, and soon it was starting to consume about a third of her sight, while another third was consumed by flashing lights that went off in front of her gray eyes. Her teeth clenched in her mouth, the venomous pain that was on her face suddenly growing into deep, electric stabs of knives across her face, her head, and into her veins. The bruise had been reborn, and her body shook under her weight, but her grip on the lamp-stand—although growing weaker—kept her on her feet. She tried to speak up, but she felt something hot…something new crawl down the side of her jaw, tickling across her ear as it wept. It was her tears, as she knew she wasn't crying. It was something else.

"I…I wasn't…please…" her voice came out in a way that was not hers, a voice that was so soft, barely able to be heard, yet it was there, and within it were emotions, feelings, and sounds that no human could ever make. It was a sweet, heart-wrenching sound, filled with so much pain, so much terror, so much anger, yet the anger was masked by all these sorrowful and choking feelings. Something hot burned in her throat, plaguing it, filling it, and it sputtered out from between her lips, spotting the floor beneath her. Yet, despite all this pain and agony, it was what happened next that was probably the worst pain of all.

"SHUT UP YOU FILTHY FUCKING WHORE!"

"AH!!"

It was that sound alone…that loud, gentle, yet terrorized sound that filled the woman with so much more pain, so much grief and sorrow, so much agony and horror, that even when she fell to the ground, the soreness heightening itself to a hundred fold, nothing was compared to the anguish she felt while lying there on the carpet, her face pressed against the floor, yet through the blinding lights and alluring darkness did she see a little girl standing in the hallway, her long ebony hair clung to her frail body, her emerald green eyes large pools of watery, fearful pain and horror, her fare face flushed of any color, nothing but the whiteness of a spirit who had just witnessed the recreation of their own death. The woman stared at the child, her body tingling from the horror that had just suddenly struck her, and reality—the cruel, horrible, sick, sadistic world that she had tried to keep the child from—came crashing into her…hard. She felt all reality, all fantasy, all imaginary, suddenly swerve into themselves and fold and bend at a twisted, bone-crushing way, the world spun violently around her, and all she could see through the lights and darkness was the child's eyes, swimming with tears of horror and suffering as she watched her beloved cousin be beaten and harmed purposely by the man she believed to have loved her.

_Sophia…I love you…._

"Julian! Julian, get the fuck out of here before I call the police!"

It was as if that voice from the darkness had brought forth a relief upon her, and she couldn't resist it anymore, she couldn't help it. She found that the lights had faded, the darkness was consuming her sight, and she felt the cold numbness of the pain crawl over her in a sweeping blanket, forcing her to see the child's eyes just before it blinded her from the world around her. She became deaf, mute, blind…and numb to the world around, dead to reality….

* * *

_"Alli…."_

_It's only a dream…it can't be real…._

_"Alli…wake up…."_

_You can't be here….You just can't be…._

_"Wake up, Allison….Please, wake up..."_

The woman opened her rain gray eyes, and the blur of shadows before her sight suddenly drifted slowly away. The shadows were dancing, playing in her eye sight, and it wasn't until a moment later that light started to erase them away, and she found herself lying on her back, staring up into a whiteness above her head, her ears deaf and her throat mute of any sound or any feeling that was waiting to come from inside her. She laid, there, waiting, looking, searching for something, wondering many thoughts that raced in her mind—_Am I in heaven? Am I dead now?_—until her eyes focused, and several other colorful objects came into clear sight—a white, glittered snowflake hanging from the corner of the ceiling, a photograph of the woman and a lovely little girl hanging on a wall across the room—and she tried to lift her head, but the moment she did, a searing, hot pain erupted from within her head, and it flowed down to her neck. She hissed out of agony, and then she felt someone come up beside her, lifting her head up gently with one hand. She looked up, opening her eyes more so that the shadows completely faded away, and she saw a woman leaning over her, her dark red hair flowing forward past her shoulders and her brown eyes—sad, fearful oak brown eyes—were filled with tears that had streamed down her cheeks and marking them with sorrowful lines that only meant she had been mourning. The woman lying on her back in pain looked up at her, her best friend, and felt droplets of tears fall from those eyes onto her forehead. The red haired woman sobbed gently, trying to speak as she held her head, but her words were distorted and choked from the sorrow that had filled her.

"Sam..." the woman on the floor murmured her name softly, and she tried to sit up, trying to ignore and push the agonizing pain in her head away and try to erase it completely through her will. It was a difficult task to do, but by doing so, she was able to sit up completely and turn to face her friend, who was still sobbing uncontrollably.

"Sam...how...where...How long was I out?" she quickly asked her friend, feeling a sudden sensation of guilt, shame, and grief flow through her. She felt incredibly awful at the situation that she had left lying at her best friend's feet, having to chase her "boyfriend" out of the house, and then dealing with a traumatized child that had just bared witness to something she had been trying to keep her away from. This was her fault, all this was her fault, and she couldn't help but feel her stomach twist, knot, and stretch in disgusting ways from these feelings that were coursing through her.

Her friend tried to calm down, choking on her own tears and sorrow, coughing and hiccoughing and swallowing those tears down her throat and trying to relax her pounding, terrorized heart. The other woman held a towel in her hand—soaking wet—and she couldn't resist but covering her face with it. She sobbed for a few moments into the cloth, and as the moment went on, her crying became softer, quieter, and then finally, she pulled her head out of the cloth to look up at the other woman, tears still falling from her eyes, but no longer hysterical.

"About...about an hour..." she told her, practically choking on her words as she spoke. The younger woman looked surprised that she was unconscious for such a long time, but the pain in her head and body told her that it was to be expected after what had happened to her just now—which she could hardly remember. Alli looked around, seeing that the sky outside the apartment windows has grown darker—almost omniscient dark, knowing what had happened and turning the appropriate shade of ebony just to fit the circumstance—and the electric clock hanging on the wall in the hallway read the time in bold, neon green numbers. 10:15 p.m.

Alli got to her feet—her body feeling dizzy and her head spinning due to the pain—and she walked over towards the hallway, practically stumbling over her own two feet to get to the bathroom. She clutched the edge of the sink in the darkness, keeping herself steady, and her body nearly fell into the porcelain bowl, queasiness succumbing her and crawling over her mind. She bit her bottom lip vigorously, reaching over to turn the light on in the enclosed room. The moment she flipped the switch, the room filled with the light yellow brightness, and her gray eyes crossed onto the mirror across from her, in front of her, and in the light she could see just what the after result was of the past incident. There was a faint, hidden contusion on the side of her face, throbbing painfully as the warm light caressed it, barely visible through the curtain of strawberry blond hair that shielded it. Running from the top of her forehead to her chin was a long stream of red liquid, dried, but also smeared down along the way, as if someone had been trying to wash it off. She could see the splatter of dried fluid on her bottom lip, half of it from her having the terrible habit of biting on it, and the other from the moments before. She didn't look half as bad as she thought she would have—note the sarcasm—but not so much as to where people will instantly notice her wounds and start asking questions. She took a washcloth from the bathtub and ran it under cold water from the sink. She started dabbing and removing the now dried crimson from her face, cleaning up as much of the wound as possible, and then removing it from her mouth. After that she cleansed the contusion at her jaw line, and then hid it behind her fallen hair. After about ten minutes of trying to hide the injuries she had obtained from the man she believed to have cared about her, she finally left the bathing chamber, turning the light out, and went to find her friend still on her knees in the living room, no longer crying, but still shaking from fear.

"Where...where is Sophia?" Alli asked the other woman softly, the pain in her head aggravating her to the point of nausea.

"She...went into her room. She was crying for a long time. I think she passed out because of it," Sam answered her, still choking on her sobs, but was still able to be heard despite it. Alli didn't feel like speaking, she didn't feel like explaining herself to anyone or what had happened in any sort of way. She turned on her heel and went straight back into the hallway, approaching the child's bedroom door, and noticing that it was open ajar. She pushed it open, allowing the light of the living room stream into the chambers.

It was sort of ironic to say that a child's bedroom was actually a lot cleaner than an adult's bedroom, but Sophia was a special case. Compared to Sam's room, a dumpster would be cleaner. Yet, Sophia's room was especially clean and tidy, there never was any toys or clothes on the floor, there never was any speck of dirt or dust on the dresser, desk, or toy boxes that she had stacked up neatly and perfectly against the wall. Her closet was always carefully and meticulously set up to where it showed her multiple outfits hanging—_color-coordinated, mind you_—from white metal hangers, and her bed—_the twin-size princess bed that she had brought with her from her mother's house_—was always made, never once out of shape or the pillows put in the wrong place. For a child of eight years, this was an extremely rare thing to behold. Alli's gray eyes scanned the room, adjusting to the shadows that stretched over it, and then fell on the lump lying under the covers in the bed. The lump was moving—_throbbing like a beating, grieving heart_—and Alli approached it cautiously, her heart pounding as brief images of the last moment came flying into her mind, playing and replaying over and over again, and her stomach gave another painful jerk as she remembered seeing the child's eyes—those sweet, innocent green eyes—fill with horrified tears, tears that no child should ever have to shed. Yet, Sophia did, and it was because of her. It was because of Alli, her older cousin, the one who was supposed to take care of her, that Sophia had been exposed to such a dreadful and horrible world. It was because of her, and, despite how hard she had been trying to keep the child from reality, she couldn't have predicted that this would happen, and now, because it has, she has to figure out a way to fix it. But what? What could she do to fix something that was so traumatizing to this young innocent life?

_I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry..._

Alli brushed against the child's face, feeling the running tears slip off into her hand, yet the face was soon concealed behind a curtain of ebony hair. She felt the child's warm cheeks suddenly fade into clamminess under her touch, and she realized that it was because of her cold touch that it did. Pulling her hand away, she turned away from the bed and sulked out of the room, her hands shoved into the pockets of her black jeans. The moment she closed the door behind her and walked out into the hallway, she found herself being faced by her best friend, Sam, who had recollected her composure, her eyes had dried, and she was no longer choking or sobbing, but rather held about her a stance of complete seriousness and hardness that made it almost too sharp to look at.

"What are you going to do about this?" Sam asked of her, and Alli merely shrugged, walking past her into the living room. The woman followed her and continued to ask the same question over and over again until she at last answered. "What are you going to do? Alli, how are you going to be able to handle this?"

"I don't know!" the anger, the rage, the hate, the grief, the pain, it was all rising up inside her, and she was despising every moment that went by that she didn't know how she was going to be able to solve this problem. Her mind was torn in two directions, one side agreeing with Sam and desiring, more than anything, to break every ounce of the relationship she had with Julian off and even call the cops on him, and the other side was opposed to it, crying and weeping in a corner, creating excuses that were unbelievable, yet somehow believable to herself. She couldn't leave him, she loved him, but she couldn't risk getting hurt again, or worse...exposing Sophia to anymore of this. She was her older cousin, her caretaker, her guardian...she was his girlfriend, his lover. How could she choose between the two of them?

_The answer should be simple..._

But it wasn't. Not at this moment, it wasn't. She had to decide, though, who was more important to her. And that question was easy to answer, she didn't have to think, she just had to feel the answer run through her and then speak or act on it. There was no thinking involved.

"I can't have Sophia exposed to this again. I just can't," she told her friend, falling into the couch gently, trying to think clearly. Her friend sat beside her, yet Sam didn't hold her, didn't touch her, as she knew that no matter how much comfort she would try to give, nothing could help her in this situation. All she could do was hope that what Alli decided would not only go her way, but would also have the child as the first thought in mind.

"Are you going to break it off with him?" Sam opened her mouth more to add something, but she knew that the decision the younger woman was about to make wasn't allowed to have any influence put onto it by her or anyone else. Alli had to make this decision on her own, without anyone's help.

"I don't know," the girl shook her head, bowing it forward as to where her hair fell into a curtain, hiding her face, hiding her bruises, hiding her eyes from the world around. She had to clear her mind, she had to go somewhere where she could think rationally and logically, but there was no place like that anywhere on this earth. What she needed was an escape, a doorway, somewhere that she would be able to free, just for a moment, and be able to decide on what she needed to do.

_An escape for freedom from this reality..._

A sound came from the kitchen. It was a faint sound, but it was loud enough to be heard from the living room. It was like a song had just turned on, repeating the chorus cheerfully over and over again, a chorus from a song that Alli and Sam knew all too well.

_"I can't waste time, so give me the moment. I realize nothing's broken. No need to worry about everything I've done. I live every second like it was my last one. Don't look back, got a new direction. I loved you once, I needed protection. You're still a part of everything I do. You're on my heart, just like a tattoo…."_

It was Alli's ringtone having gone off because someone was calling her cell-phone—which had been forgotten about in the kitchen while they were preparing dinner—and the two girls looked at each other, worry and curiosity running through both of them.

"What if it's him again?" Sam asked her. Alli shook her head.

"No, that's not his tone. I have…I have '_Buttons_' set for him." Sam gave her a weird look, knowing that "_Buttons_" by the Pussycat Dolls was an incredibly mature and sexy song, one that many people would never believe in a million years that this girl—this sweet, sexually shy girl—would program her phone to play that song for her twisted and abusive boyfriend.

"So, whose tone is that?" Sam asked as the phone rang for its second time. This time, the other woman had got up from her seat on the couch and walked quickly to the kitchen where she found her phone. She looked at the screen, and saw a number flashing that she didn't recognize, one that wasn't programmed into it.

"I don't know this number. Hold on," she quickly told her phone. Taking a deep breath, she flipped the phone open and put to her ear, trying to hide the pain that was still coursing through her.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is Alli there?"

It was a voice on the other line that sounded both unfamiliar and familiar all at once. Her heart was pounding viciously in her chest, the pain in her body suddenly vanishing into a hot, burning nervousness that seemed to take over her completely. The pain suddenly vanished from her, as if it wasn't there. A part of her actually forgot what had happened to her, and a part of her seemed to have forgotten about Julian completely—_whose Julian again_?

"Um…this is she." She sounded like a choking frog trying to speak into the phone as every part of her was hoping, praying, wishing that it was the very person she suspected it to be.

"Hey, Alli, it's Christopher."

Sam had at once seen the blushing face, the widened eyes—_did she also hear the pounding, racing heartbeat that seemed to echo off the walls of the apartment_?—from the living room and at once ran up to her friend, preparing herself to catch her if Alli suddenly became weak or unstable. At first, there was a troubled expression on her face, but then that expression turned into one of happiness and joy as she instantly read everything in those gray eyes.

"Hey. How are you?" _sound cool, don't sound so silly, try to relax, keep your mind focused and clear, don't sound like some stupid, crazed fan girl!_

"I'm good, I'm good. Listen, Alli, I was wondering something," Criss Angel's voice sounded completely different over the phone, yet at the same time, so familiar, and just as comforting to the woman. She felt her heart calm down a little, but not entirely.

"What?" Alli sounded better now, and Sam was even giving her an interested look, a look that she only gave when she hears something or sees something that she feels should be world-wide news—_usually it's something worth gossiping, much more important than your mom cheating on your father with the neighborhood underage paperboy who already happens to have a pregnant girlfriend_.

"Could you meet me somewhere? Like at that one club, _'Innocence_' in a half-hour or so?" Christopher asked her, and Alli felt her once calm heart go skyrocketing through her chest. Sam apparently had heard his question through the phone, as those brown eyes widened from excitement. All of a sudden, though, that brief moment of amnesia from the past two hours seemed to come crashing back into her, and she bit her lip—hard—from her anxiety and fear of actually going out somewhere with another man.

"Um…I don't know, Christopher, it's really late, and—"

"Give me that!"

"Hey!"

Sam snatched the phone out of her hands quickly, far faster than she could react to, and the moment it came crashing into the strawberry blond what her friend had done, the older woman was already talking into the other line, giving her answer for her.

"Criss, she'll be there! Ciao!" And with that, Sam hung up the phone, but ended up being glared at in a threatening, murderous manner. Sam only grinned at her, while Alli was close to pouncing on her and strangling the living daylights out of her.

"You have got to stop doing that!" she yelled at her friend, snatching her phone back. Sam only continued to smile at her playfully—_cunning little bitch, isn't she_?

"No, not until you learn to say what you need to say when you need to say it," that glare that was being given to her was not going to go away any time soon. "I know you wanted to say yes. If it wasn't for that fucker Julian you would already be with him. You're going, and you better go get ready now. You don't want to be late."

"I'm not going."

"What?!" Sam looked at her friend, shocked and surprised, that someone could actually turn down a date with the attractive, mysterious, charming, attractive, strong—_not to mention attractive_—Criss Angel!

"I'm not going. I can't." Alli sounded so distant when she spoke that, as if her mind and soul weren't really there, and she was speaking those words almost mechanically. Had someone programmed her to say those hated three words when Sam wasn't looking?

"What do you mean you can't?" she asked her friend in response, shocked that she had even said anything so illogical.

"I can't leave Sophia here. I mean, I have to be here in the morning when she wakes up. I have to come up with some way of explaining what happened to her, and I have to figure out what I'm going to do about this situation," Alli felt all the grief and pain suddenly rise up back inside her, but Sam was shaking her head, the playful grin still existing on her lips.

"Don't worry about Sophia. I'll stay here and I'm sure you'll be back before she even wakes up. You can handle the situation tomorrow, and besides, you're going to '_Innocence_.' You've always wanted to be there, ever since we were freshmen in high school. Now you have your chance to go, so GO!" Sam shook her shoulders kindly, and the two of them couldn't help but laugh. It was relaxing to be able to laugh, to allow this burden to rise up out of her, and to suddenly be free of any stress or pain. After a brief second of suddenly realizing what good it might actually do for her, she gave into that fan girl side of herself, and agreed.

"Alright, Sam, you're right. I'll go. Just make sure she's safe," Alli nodded towards the hallway, and her best friend's smile broadened, widened, and seem to fill her with that strong warmth that only a couple of people on this entire planet have been able to give her.

"She'll be safe. Go have a good time! Freshen up first, though!"

Alli smiled as she embraced her friend lovingly, and then the two girls parted—Sam had to slip in a "_go fuck him_" comment that Alli had to glare at—Sam went to her room, and Alli went into the bathroom to apply some mascara, fix her hair, and grab a tube of lip-gloss—her favorite lip-gloss, raspberry and vanilla—that she stuffed into her pocket, quickly grabbed her cell-phone from the kitchen, and then slipped out of the apartment silently, calling a cab as she went out into the street.

She couldn't believe that this opportunity had come, and at the perfect time. Although she wasn't ridden of her problem, it was nice to suddenly be taken away from the insanity and suffering of this night, and into a world that she knew was only made for her. In this world, in this sub-reality, there was no such thing as painful relationships, there never was a man named Julian that haunted her life, and in this world, she was innocent of all impurities, innocent of all sins, given a second chance, a second life. She wasn't free yet, but at least she was given a chance to be numb from it all, numb from the pain, numb from the sorrow…numb from this sick little twisted world that she was trapped in. All given from an angel above….


	10. A Taste of Freedom

Chapter X: A Taste of Freedom

The _Innocence_ club was an adult night club that seemed to be the talk of this small town, only the people whose names were practically known around town and then some could get in. It was no surprise that poor Alli—who has dreamed of being inside those walls since she was in high school—couldn't get into it. Yet, for someone like Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, aka "_Criss Angel_", getting in was a breeze. Hell, with one word, he could own the club. Although Alli was trying not to think about it as in this manner, she was grateful that Criss had called her out to meet him at this club, and she was grateful that she at least knew him in order to get in. When the cab pulled up in front of the entrance way with the young woman inside it, she couldn't help but just sit there and stare at it. It was a dark, two-story building with flashing purple, red, pink, and green neon lights illuminating from the inside, a red rope barricading the open doors where two large, broad bouncers stood, one hooking and unhooking the rope to allow people to go inside, and the other with a clipboard, checking names or invitations for the people to go inside. The name of the club was strung across the front between the long, tinted glass windows in bright rose colored neon letters that said "_INNOCENCE_." Pounding from the speakers of the club were multiple dance songs, and she watched as people walked through the rope, past the bouncers, and disappeared behind a veil of dark sequence that added a sort of magical touch to the place. Before paying the cab driver, Alli quickly fixed her hair and applied her lip-gloss, feeling completely out of place compared to the other people walking into it dressed in elegant gowns and outfits that seemed to be only fit for a Hollywood party. She was dressed in the same white buttoned-up, long-sleeve man shirt she had worn all day, the same tight, dark blue denim jeans she had worn, and the same black and white Converse she always wore. The only difference is she had buttoned her shirt down just a little to show a little more cleavage, and there was a little more make-up all over her face. She saw a man standing out in front of the club, his dark hair hidden beneath a black baseball cap—the same one he had worn when they first met—and he wore a heavy, black leather jacket, but it wasn't zipped up, showing his chains and necklace that he seemed to wear proudly. He was looking around, searching, and her heart raced when she thought if he was looking for her. Chances are, he was.

She quickly paid the cab driver and then crawled out of the car, approaching where the man stood, his back to her. She stopped just a foot or so behind him, excitement coursing through her like her own blood, and an idea hit her. The child, the fan girl—_the immature, crazed, wanna-be-girlfriend that she kept shoving into the closet, bound and gagged_—wanted to sneak up behind him, cover his eyes, and ask the notorious, elementary question, "_guess who_?", but she couldn't. The adult that she was, the mature, responsible—_taken_!—woman that she was supposed to be wasn't going to let that child out. Instead, she just walked up behind him, and gently tapped him on the shoulder. He at once spun around—his jacket flowed around him practically like a cape, which made her smile and almost laugh—and face her, his lips folded into a very cocky and arrogant grin.

"Hey." _Is that all he can say to me? Shut up_! Alli thought bitterly to herself, knowing that the fan girl inside her was just dying to jump on him and smother him. _Remember! You are still technically in a relationship! Don't get too involved!_

"Hey," she responded back, trying to keep her demeanor as calm and cool as possible. He stood back from her—his eyes scanning her in a way that made her feel both comfortable and uncomfortable. He couldn't really comment on her outfit, as what he was wearing was incredibly casual, as well, despite how appealing he may look.

"You look nice," he told her, though the tone of sarcasm could be heard. She played along, as if the two of them were best friends. Wait…were they friends?

"Yeah, so do you," she told him in the same tone, and then he approached her a little closer, his hand coming up and caressing the side of her face. She closed her eyes, her face turning a deep blushing red, as she felt her heart pound like a drum inside her chest. She was also afraid that he might see or feel the bruise that had been newly formed on her face. She really didn't feel like explaining herself to him about it. However, there was no avoiding the question when she felt him pull her hair back, and his fingers—_warm, soft_—brushed against where the bruise was, lingering just on her skin a little, but meant to have been hidden by the curtain of hair she had made to hide it.

Yet, when his hand pulled away, he didn't ask anything to her, he didn't say anything. She opened her eyes, and found his dark, hypnotizing ones, and she saw within them a look that she not only wasn't familiar with, but one that she didn't like, as well—if that was even possible. It was a look that he knew something, that he suspected something, and he wasn't willing to share it with her. She decided to ignore this look, and she even allowed him to grab her hand and drag her towards the front entrance of it, not even bothering to go through the rope, he just approached the bouncers, who looked at the two of them apprehensively.

"Hi, um, I think I talked on the phone with one of you. Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos?" he told the bigger of the men, while the other with the clipboard approached, scanning the names on the papers he had, flipping it over, and then he paused.

"Do you have an ID with you?" the bouncer asked.

"Yes, I do," Christopher released her hand just to reach into his pocket and pull out his wallet which was chained to his belt. He opened it and showed the inside to the bouncer with the clipboard, who nodded and wrote something down on the paper clipped to the board. He then looked at Alli, and gave her a dark look.

"And what about you, ma'am?" he asked of her, and she felt completely ashamed of herself—she always carried her ID with her—but she didn't make any call to the club before. Thank God Christopher had spoken for her.

"She's my date," Criss told him, though Alli's heart nearly beat out of her chest when he said the word "_date_."

"Alright. Go on in," the bouncer told them, and his comrade stepped aside from them to walk past him and through the colorful, sweet scented, silk-soft veil and into the spinning, whirling lights, dancing, crowding figures, and pounding music. Alli's heart was pounding almost as hard as the music as she realized she was finally in that one place she had always dreamed of being. Criss pulled her closer to him, and she looked up into his face, finding that his dark eyes were looking into the distance, not really staring at anything or anyone, just a blank, empty stare that looked on into whatever world he was seeing. She touched his hand gently, and it seemed to bring him back into reality. He looked at her, and smiled.

"You know, this one of the only clubs I'd ever been to that asked for ID," he told her calmly.

"Maybe they don't want people sneaking in that are underage or not on the list," Alli told him softly, and he smiled a little—she loved seeing his smile. It just made her heart flutter.

"I guess so. Come on, I want to dance!" he started to drag her towards the dance floor, but Alli was blushing and was becoming really nervous. She was a horrible dancer, everyone knew this, even Sam. That's one reason why Julian or any of her previous boyfriends never took her to clubs, or if they did, they would never ask her to dance. She really didn't feel like embarrassing herself in front of him, not to mention in front of all these people.

"No! Wait, Criss, I can't…I can't dance!" she told him over the pounding, blaring music, trying to pull out of his grip. He stopped and turned to her, apparently looking interested. He obviously didn't believe her.

"You can't dance?" he asked her, and she shook her head. "That's a shame. Well, I guess I'll have to teach you then."

"No! Stop!"

Too late, Criss had already pulled her to the dance floor, and he spun her instantly on the spot, forcing her to be locked in his gaze, and no quicker than this had happened, his arms were around her—her heart was pounding into her head—and it seemed like the entire club disappeared into a blur of spinning neon lights and music. She found herself stumbling over nothing, and she fell into his chest, her face turning a bright shade of red when she felt the warmth of this man surround her, and the sweet, powerful, addicting scent of his cologne filled her mind, giving her a high that no drug could ever give her. She bowed her head, trying to shield her embarrassment from him, but he didn't seem to notice anything, nor did he seem to care. His hands were around her waist, and it felt almost too perfect, his arms holding her in the perfect way, and her body seemed to melt into his warmth, becoming a part of him, and that scent seem to surround her. She closed her eyes for only a moment, enjoying this sensation that had started to surround her, but it didn't last long.

"Okay, Alli, seeing as how you don't know how to dance, I'm going to teach you," Christopher released her, but not even as soon as his hands were gone from her did he grab her wrist and spun her in front of him, as if using her like a display for a masterpiece he had created, seeing her from all sides. He spun her only three times, but even so, he did it so fast that she felt dizzy when she finally stopped, her head spinning wildly, and the pain that she had not been able to feel since he called her at the apartment suddenly came back to her in a brief sting.

"No! Stop it!" she was half-laughing, but she was also half-serious when he pulled her back into him, and she had to lean against him in order to make sure she wouldn't trip over herself. She looked up into that face, and she saw that arrogant smile, and she suddenly understood why he had done that. He didn't care if she knew how to dance or not, if she looked like an idiot trying to dance like some amazing female music celebrity or didn't, he brought her here not because of that. His real reason was still unreadable in his face, but the longer she was with him, she was starting to obtain hints and clues as to it. She only had a few pieces to the puzzle, but before the end of the night, she was going to have it solved completely.

She decided to take a chance and try dancing, although she knew she would look like an idiot no matter what she did. If her boyfriends didn't dare dance with her, or if even little Sophia didn't like to see her dance, obviously she wasn't a good dancer, but at this moment, she shouldn't have to care. She wasn't here to show off, she wasn't here to impress him. It didn't matter if she did or if she didn't. She was still in a relationship with another man, so trying to impress him meant that she had thoughts or desires of flirting and being with him behind Julian's back, and that was something she wasn't willing to do—_not until I break up with him, anyway_.

Before she even realized it, five different songs had played by without her realizing it, and she was spinning and moving in a way she didn't even realize she was able to. She didn't care if the people in the club looked at her with strange eyes or with looks of her looking like a complete moron, she didn't care, because whenever she turned to see unfamiliar eyes glaring at her, she would look back to find Criss Angel's eyes, and see that those eyes had warmth within them, comfort, and she knew that he didn't see her as an idiot. She didn't know what he saw her as, but as long as he kept staring at her like that, she didn't care. It was a look that no one had ever given her before, a look that none of her previous boyfriends, or even Julian, has ever given her. It was a dark look, a hungry look, but at the same time a respectful one, a comforting one, and she felt that this look was enough to make her want to do anything—within limits.

In only an instant, the rhythm of the dance club quickly changed, and she realized that the music playing was something completely different from the fast, heart-pounding dance remixes that she has grown to love. The songs that were playing now were slower, steadier, and as she looked around, she either saw dressed up people leaving the dance floor or coupling-up, which made her blush deep red and her core started to dance in her chest violently. She hadn't even realized that this was inevitable to avoid, and although the fan girl part of her was more than excited for this to have happened, most of her kept on reminding herself that she had a boyfriend, and that if he ever caught her with another man—slow dancing for Christ's sake—then Hell will have no furry like Julian's wrath.

"What's wrong?"

His voice came from behind her and startled her, but she tried to maintain her composure and keep herself calm under this situation. She turned and looked him in the eyes—those dark, mesmerizing eyes—and felt herself become anxious when she saw the look on his face.

"Nothing. I just…I'm feeling tired, and I think I better go get something to drink," she told him, coming up with as many excuses as she could.

"Oh, alright, but not yet."

Alli turned to Christopher, and she felt her heart rise up to her throat, singing its beautiful lullaby of excitement and happiness. She shouldn't be this excited, but she couldn't help it. The look in his eyes, the expression on his face, it was all something she couldn't ignore, as the meaning read clearly across it. He wanted to dance with her.

"Why?" Rhetorical question, as she knew why, but he didn't know that she knew. She remained to be this clueless, socially challenged girl that he had met on the bus…yet, why did she have to pretend to be that when it was her all along?

"I don't know. I guess I want you to dance with me a little more."

Ulp. Alli had to bite her lip, having read his lips carefully, though she could hear what he was saying. Had he really asked for her to dance with him? She didn't know how to answer him, she didn't know how to react to this, and she just felt the answer come to her instinctively when he held his hand out to her. She looked up into his eyes, looking, searching for another way out of it, but he obviously saw the fear and nervousness within her gray ones, as he quickly added.

"I promise to keep my hands to myself."

Alli continued to look at him uneasily, but after he gave her a charming, sincere smile, who couldn't say no to him? She took his hand, and he dragged her deeper onto the floor, and then he gently brought her into him and wrapped his arms around her waist, forcing her to flush deep red and her body suddenly became numb, yet warm, when she bowed into the magician's body, allowing him to take control of her. She was so unstable now, her body spinning and feeling faint as he held her.

"Just relax."

It was easier said than done. Her mind became fogged and blurred by all these random, racing thoughts, her emotions driving her insane, and her heart was throbbing painfully in her chest, but she couldn't resist the moment. She may not have been able to relax, but she somehow felt amazing in his arms. She placed her hands on his shoulders, keeping herself steady while she tried to balance herself and be able to slow dance with him. She looked up into his face, and his eyes locked with hers, and a sensation came over her immediately. It wasn't a nervous sensation, an uneasy, troubling one, but it was actually something that made everything fade away. She felt warm, safe, comfortable, and happy all at once. She had to keep her eyes locked with his, otherwise she knew everything would come back to her, everything would suddenly return, and she would still remain this clumsy, shy, completely idiotic girl that she had always been. In the peaceful bliss of this four minute dance, all of reality faded away, everything just seemed to disappear in a blur, and she felt no pain, no suffering, her memory had been wiped clean of any thought or feeling of her past, or her present, and all she could think about was a fantasy future with this man, a future that she hoped would someday come. Keeping her eyes locked in his dark orbs, she bowed her head a little, and allowed these emotions to flow over her and crash into her like tidal waves on the shore of a beach, gently caressing her feet and body as she swam in them. With him, there was no such thing as reality, and she was brought back into that imaginary, magical world that was made and meant for only the two of them. This world…this sense of freedom, of shelter, of happiness and survival away from the sick world that was her reality. Maybe…it didn't have to be real. Perhaps only reality was limited to how far one's imagination and mind would take them. Maybe that was what Criss Angel was trying to show her.

"You seem to be feeling better," he whispered in her ear, and this time, she didn't feel nervous, excited, or anxious. She felt fine, safe, and actually able to speak back to him without sounding like a choking amphibian. She smiled back at him, feeling his arms wrap around her a little more tightly.

"Yeah, I am," she answered him. Her voice came out soft, quiet, but she knew that he had heard her. There was no reason to keep herself so locked up and imprisoned within herself. That fan girl wasn't really a fan girl after all. Just the Eve that had been hidden inside her and meant to be brought out whenever she was brought into this Eden by her Adam.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked her in response to her words. She hadn't even realized she had spoken anything until she heard him speak in response. She pulled away just a little, and looked back up into his face.

"For bringing me here. I needed to get out and clear my head," she told him.

"Oh. Are you having trouble with your boyfriend?"

Alli had completely forgotten that she had told him before that she was taken, and a part of her was wishing that she hadn't. She really didn't feel like explaining herself to him, she didn't feel like ruining the moment and even thinking about something that would instantly bring her out of this world of illusion he had provided to her.

"Kind of. We're going over a bump in the road," and then she quickly added, "I think I might have to break up with him."

The moment the provocateur's eyes lit up, she knew what he was thinking. The look was there, it was brief, it was gone, but it was there, and she knew why it had come in the first place. She sighed, looking away from his eyes, and bringing her hands down to his arms. The warmth was still there, it still surrounded her, but she was just on the horizon of the world, having the ropes of reality suddenly pull at her back into its existence.

"Oh, well, whatever you do, I hope it makes you happy."

He wasn't going to admit what he was thinking. Not yet. But she knew. She already knew everything he was thinking. He didn't have to tell her. She smiled shyly and closed her eyes, feeling this illusionary world take her again, bringing her back into this dream-like state, and in this bliss she felt him hold her closer, tighter, and she hoped he would never let her go. She had become addicted to this small taste of freedom he had given her….

However, unaware to either one of them in this peaceful bliss, there were eyes set on them, eyes that hid within the shadows that the neon lights didn't touch. Eyes that held within them the darkness of hate, anger, rage, jealousy, envy, and a threat to throw their world into a sea of blackness, threatening, like the hateful serpent of Eden, to bring sin to their world, and bring them to fall from their kind grace. These eyes have always haunted the young woman in her worst and sickest of nightmares, and unfortunately, these eyes had followed her into reality, seeking her out, and soon…the serpent will find her vein, and sink its fangs deep within it, poisoning her with its aberrant venom, and bind her to it, just as the Serpent had bound Eve and her descendents of mankind to sin through the first bite of the lethal fruit. Just a taste…just a taste was all that was needed in order to become addicted to malevolence, in order to bind the woman to evil, though fortunately, a taste was all that was needed to give this descendent of Eve to show her that there was such thing as paradise outside of her reality. Can she escape her serpent, though?


	11. Enraptured and Addicted

Chapter XI: Enraptured and Addicted

Alli will never forget that night. Never will she forget how amazing it felt to be in his arms, to be dancing with him, and to be so close to him. Everything that night just fell into place, everything was just perfect, and Christopher even helped bring the girl out of that tight and dark shell she had been hiding in. He brought that woman that was inside of her all along out, and at last, she was showing her face to the warm sunlight of the world. No more was she Alli, the sweet, shy, socially challenged girl that she had been living by. Now she was Allison, the woman she always was meant to be, the woman that seemed to be whom she wanted to be all along—though she still preferred to be called Alli over Allison. That night seemed to last forever, but in actuality, it was four in the morning when Christopher finally brought her home—in a taxi cab, no less—and walked her to her door. The lights were off, Sam and Sophia were asleep, and he even came in for a short moment just to say goodnight. It was a wonderful moment when she saw the exact same emotion that was plaguing her mind at that very second appear in his eyes, but it vanished within that second as he turned and left, and Alli fell onto the couch, drifting into a peaceful dream that was merely all of her fantasies transpired into one romantic and passionate scene between her and the magician. Every night after that, her dreams have been pleasant, sweet, romantic, and ridden of any horrible or negative essence of her past, her present, or her boyfriend. In fact, for a short time, she had actually forgotten that she had a boyfriend. The morning after, Sam prepared breakfast while asking Alli questions—the regulatory "_did you sleep with him?", "did you get a motel room last night?_" questions that she always hated—and a shock to both women was that Sophia didn't mention anything or ask anything about the previous night. She was, however, quiet and distant during breakfast and all day. She hardly ever spoke, but neither adult felt like traumatizing her by bringing up something that she might have been pretending never happened and was nothing more than a horrible nightmare that she could easily move on from. Days after that seem to go by rather quickly and pleasantly, all thanks to the fact that Christopher had developed a habit of calling Alli on a regulatory basis—when she got home from school just to see if she was alright, in the early parts of the night to talk to Sophia and then her, and even during the day between classes, (which made Alli nervous of being seen by Julian, but not as much as it should have)—and she had even programmed his number into her phone along with an ID ringtone—"_Lie To Me_" by 12 Stones. However, not once did it seem like there was a romantic connection between the two of them, merely having now become good friends, but on occasion Alli found herself wondering when he had to leave the city and go back to Las Vegas—something he brought up a couple of times when they talked on the phone.

Julian hadn't shown in his face in days since that night—which was a good thing! He never called, he never showed up at the apartment or after classes with roses and chocolates—which had died since then and were eaten within the day they were given—and Sam had actually been starting to celebrate that he may not show up anymore.

"Good ridden! He was a bastard, anyway!" she kept saying every time the two of them were cooking in the kitchen and Sophia was out of earshot—because Sam had a habit of cursing, Sophia had been getting on her case even harder than before about it.

Alli knew that they weren't officially over. She and Julian had never actually spoken since the incident, so she didn't know if they were done or just drifting apart. She still hadn't been able to make up her mind whether she was going to break up with him or not, but she knew she had to do something. She couldn't have Sophia exposed to that incident again. It's either Julian never comes over to the apartment again and changes how he treats her, or the two of them won't be together at all anymore. As the days went on, things started changing a little more around the apartment. Sophia started growing quieter and softer, and Alli was actually coming out of her shell more, even to the extent of borrowing some of Sam's outfits to wear whenever she believed that she was going to see Christopher—big surprise!

One weekend, though, everything was going to change. They didn't realize it during the time, but before Alli even knew of it, she felt something odd was in the air, something omniscient and deadly, the feeling you would get before a big storm would tear apart your home. She didn't know, but she felt it, and even became more cautious. She started screening her calls on her cellphone—something she had never been resorted to—and even started going with Melissa or Sam to pick up Sophia from school. Paranoia just seemed to overcome her, take hold of her, and although she hated it, she couldn't help it. She started to feel this way for a couple of days before Sam finally confronted her about her reasons for acting strange.

"What's wrong?" she had asked her late one night when Sophia had gone to bed and found the other woman staring through the blinds of the living room window, watching the outside cautiously.

"I don't know." It's all that she could ever answer to her best friend. Something was bothering her, something troublesome and deadly, but what? She didn't know. At least, she didn't until that one weekend came, and Alli found herself answering the sound of the doorbell of the apartment and coming face to face with a dressed up, shaven Julian and another one of his friends, a tall, broad man with a shaven head and a dark goatee, but with a muscular, toned body that could be seen through his buttoned indigo shirt. Alli at first felt threatened, and this didn't go away even after she saw the bouquet of roses in Julian's hand.

"Hey baby, I missed you!" he leaned in for a kiss, but she turned her head away just so where he only kissed her cheek. He paused for a moment, as if stunned by this reaction, but he said nothing—she suspected it was partly because Sam had walked into the living room and noticed them standing in the doorway. At first her brown eyes were glaring daggers at her best friend's boyfriend, but then they turned into soft, molten feathers when they lingered onto his comrade.

"Julian, what are you doing here?" she asked him skeptically, though her soft eyes were still on the unnamed stranger that nearly blocked the doorway. Julian smiled at her kindly and lovingly—obviously a fake smile—and then presented the roses to his beloved, who took them gently, but her rain gray—warmed up—eyes had not left his face. She was thankful that Sophia wasn't there at the moment, but actually spending the night at her little friend, Emily's, house.

"I actually thought I'd come by to apologize to my lady about the other night, and thought I'd offer the both of you something amazing," he told them. "May I come in?"

Sam cast Alli a warning look that went unseen as the younger woman stepped out of the way to let them both in. She closed the door behind them, but Julian lingered to play with his little pet. He caressed her face gently—the healed bruise still stung when he touched it—and whispered suggestively into her ear.

"I missed you so much. I missed your soft skin, your sweet scent…" he leaned in closer to see if she would kiss him now, but she actually pushed him away, trying to keep her distance from him—every inch counted to safety from him. He apparently noticed this, but before he could speak, Sam spoke up.

"Julian, who's your friend?"

Alli looked up to see, despite her total hatred for the man, that her best friend was actually casting flirty gazes and actions towards his comrade. _Sam…you just can't get back in your shell, can you?_

"Samantha, you remember my good friend, Luke?" Julian introduced the man, who reciprocated the same looks at the older woman, and the girl standing in the corner with the abusive boyfriend rolled her eyes at this. She only remembered Luke as one of Julian's cronies in his gang that always seemed to be the muscle, never the brains. Luckily, that was all Sam ever really cared about.

Julian turned back to his girl, that hungry glare appearing in his eyes, and then she realized just why he had brought his friend along. Just to distract Sam, and keep her out of his hair while he took control of his girlfriend, and nothing was going to stop him. Not Sam, not Sophia, no one. _What a sneaky little fucker…._

"Um…Julian…you said you had something you wanted to give us?" Fortunately, there was enough room for Alli to slip out from between him and the door and went over to grab Sam and pull her towards the hallway, practically dragging her out of her entranced relationship with the broad man. The dark red head blinked and shook her head, finding herself standing beside her younger friend and in the shadows of the hallway. Julian looked a bit stunned, but also impressed, though his girlfriend knew the reasons why.

"Well, I know you won't forgive me for what I did to you, and I'm not asking you to, Alli. What I did was so horrible, I don't even forgive myself for it."_ Liar!_ "But, I wanted to make it up to you. I wanted to take you and Sam somewhere that you both can enjoy yourselves. I thought you might like it, seeing as how you've always been talking about going there since we got together."

"Where are you going with this?" Sam asked him, her stern, serious, defensive personality suddenly flooding back to her.

"I was thinking of taking you both to _'Innocence'_ tonight."

Sam and Alli both exchanged stunned, surprised looks, and in these looks flew the mental questions that the both of them were thinking. _Does he know? He couldn't, could he? Please, please, don't let him know!_ Sam cleared her throat, and Alli thought it would be better for her to handle it, as she was afraid she might show some sign for him to be suspicious and suddenly think something that would eventually lead to a rather violent and painful end.

"We're both kind of tired, and it's late. Besides, I don't think they'll let us in when we get there," Sam told him, coming up with excuses that at the moment her friend would not be able to come up with.

"I've already taken care of that. I called them up two days ago to get our names on the list. Please? I would very much appreciate it if both of you would come. Please?"

The look on his face was the very same look he had used dozens of times to get his way back into her heart, and make her forget and forgive all the horrible and wretched things he had done to her. Or so he believed she had. She never officially forgave him for anything, nor was she able to forget anything he had done to her. She remembered everything, and every time she thought of those things, soreness would arouse from multiple places on her body that have been bruised, broken, or injured in some way by his hand. It was the very look that he was giving now that made her think after the next time he harmed her that she would never fall for it again, yet she would soon after that, continuing the pattern and cycle that had already been set for her and she had been following for years with plenty of other boyfriends before him. It always worked, it always did, just like how it was working now.

"It'll be nice, Sam." What was she saying? She really didn't want to go to the same place that she had been with Christopher, and ruin the entire memory of that night that she spent with him. She didn't want to, but the face, the expression, the look that was being given to her was convincing her otherwise. Her friend actually gave her a weird look, but it went ignored as she bowed her head in acceptance to what she was doing to herself.

"Alli, are…are you sure?" Sam asked her, though what she was really saying through those words were, "_are you serious?! You can't honestly be thinking about taking him back, are you_?!" Alli couldn't help but nod…to both questions.

"Alright, looks like a double date! Why don't you ladies go get ready, get something nice put on, and then we'll head out!" Julian clapped his hands together, and then gave Alli a sexy wink, which only meant that he had control over her again. Although dismayed, the young woman went into the rooms with her friend and said nothing about her answer to her boyfriend's words as she dressed herself, applied make-up, fixed her hair, and then went back out into the living room where he and his comrade waited to escort them out of the apartment and out to the taxi waiting for them, although pretending that it was a nice and pleasant night, she knew…she knew this was only another sick and cruel joke that reality was taking much humor out of by the end of the night.

* * *

"So, this is the place you took that one girl to?" 

"Yeah. Nice, isn't it?"

"I've seen better."

"Yeah, back in Los Angeles. But for a small town like this, it's cool, isn't it?"

"Eh."

"That's all you can say? '_Eh_'?"

"That, and…why are they dressed so formal? Isn't this a dance club? Who can dance in a dress that long?"

"You know, I don't know."

Criss tilted his head at his older brothers, who were examining the illuminated building with neon lights flashing through the windows and open doors and streaming across the streets and sidewalks, the music blaring and trying to shatter the windows. Two bouncers stood, one with a clipboard, the other hooking and unhooking the red velvet rope to let people in, stood in the front, being bathed in the violet neon light that came from the sign on the front that said "_INNOCENCE_." He had decided to bring his brothers, Costa and JD, here after the long and tormenting days of them pestering and bothering him about the mysterious girl he had taken to this club and been calling practically every day since then. His brothers, who have been by his side throughout the years of his performance career and entertainment career, were good at heart, but, like all brothers, had to tease the younger one whenever they could. They had taken part in production and set up of his show, "_MINDFREAK_," as well as any on-stage acts that he gave. You could easily imagine their facial expressions when they discovered that their younger brother had actually been in contact with a woman that they not only didn't know about, but was actually still technically in a relationship with another man.

"So, you brought her here, huh? That's funny. Usually, if a guy wants to impress or charm a lady, he takes her somewhere romantic," Costa teased him carelessly, but he received a dark glare from the victim of his criticism.

"I wasn't trying to charm her," he informed them.

"Then what were you trying to do?" JD asked him skeptically, and Christopher opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when he couldn't find the words. JD and Costa exchanged looks, but they hadn't said anything more when their younger brother looked over at them and spoke warningly, "Shut up!"

He turned his dark brown eyes onto the building again, watching the taxis roll up in front of it, and people walking out. However, his heart started pounding when he saw a taxi cab drive up to the front and stopped hesitantly. He watched as a man slipped out of the backseat, his dark Latino skin becoming accentuated by the neon lights of the club, and his dark hair combed back to show a gentlemanly character that only fit with his white buttoned-up shirt—which looked familiar—and black slacks. He turned to the backseat and held out his hand, only to have it be taken and gracefully climb out was the owner of said hand. It was a woman who looked stunning, gorgeous in the night, her long, light red hair straightened and caressing her shoulders, her pale face glowing brilliantly due to the flashing, spinning lights. Her body was wrapped beautifully in a black, tight skirt, low-cut black top that was hidden under her black denim jacket, and along with her high heels golden hoop earrings, she looked positively stunning. It didn't have to take long before the magician suddenly recognized her, but he couldn't say anything as he watched her cling to the man's arm and the two of them walked towards the bouncers, followed by another couple—obviously their friends—and walked straight into the club, disappearing behind the veil hanging in front of the entrance way. He didn't have to think, he simply reacted to seeing her again, to noticing her in a way he had never seen her before, and to suddenly feel a cold, horrible knot form in his stomach as he just knew that something was about to happen. He didn't gesture to his brothers, he didn't have time to. That knot was tightening in the bowels of his underbelly, and it was taking hold of him. His throat was becoming dry, his tongue swelled up, yet his feet took off before he could even think of what he wanted to do. He was running towards the entrance of the club—his brothers only realized this a second after he had left them and took pursuit after.

The bouncers didn't have to ask him for name or identification. They recognized him, and just stood out of the way as he ran through the veil and into the dance club, his brothers behind him, and he looked around, trying to find that flow of strawberry blond hair that he had seen just moments ago. A voice in the back of his head was yelling, screaming at the top of its lungs, commanding him to find her, but he couldn't see through the crowd of people dancing and running through the building. Yet, he did recognize someone that was at the bar, her date suddenly missing.

* * *

"Julian, this was really nice! Thank you for bringing us!" Alli told her boyfriend sweetly, though she doubted she could be heard over the thumping music that was playing. However, she couldn't help but dart her gray eyes towards where she at one time had been on the dance floor with the magician she was secretly infatuated with. Neither man knew, but that was how she wanted it to be. 

"No problem. Anything for you, babe," Julian pulled her into him, and gently stroked her face, his dark eyes burning into hers, and there was an intensity within them, but she just believed that it was there because of the spinning neon lights. The man pulled his girlfriend into him a little closer and cupped her face in both his palms, tilting her head back and leaning down to kiss her. Something inside her wanted to pull away and reject it, but after all that he had done for this night…he deserved at least one kiss.

She felt his lips on hers, and she tried to react the way a loyal girlfriend would have, but just the feel of them…it hurt her. His lips were cold, hard, and the moment they touched hers, she felt him begging for entry to her mouth by his tongue. She didn't like that, and she had to pull away as quickly as she could. She didn't know why, but kissing him felt wrong, like a sin that she knew she was committing and one that she knew was wrong. She felt like she was being unfaithful with _him_, with Julian, but why? When he realized what she had done, he looked at her, his dark eyes even more intense and burning with emotions that actually made her tremble inside.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. _Whoa…déjà vu_, she thought. But the way the other man had spoken to her was much softer, kinder, and although still had dominance and command within his voice, it made her feel as if he was trying to look out for her, protect her, even. The way Julian spoke…it was hard, skeptical, and the dominance within his voice sought control, complete control over her.

"Nothing's wrong," she told him, putting back on that mask of happiness, joy, and sincerity. She couldn't wear this mask with Sam or Christopher, as Sam could see straight through it, and with Christopher, it felt like she was lying to him, betraying him. She looked around, and she noticed that her best friend and her date had suddenly disappeared. "Where'd Sam and Luke go to?"

"Oh, I guess they split up from us," he responded, looking around to suddenly realize what she had noticed, but instead of concern, there was a joy and sense of victory in his tone. He pulled her closer, the grip he had on her hand tightening, and actually becoming slightly painful. "That's okay. It gives us some privacy."

He gave her a look that made her feel completely violated, and she tried to pull out of his grip. That familiar sense of trouble was suddenly given life from within her stomach, and she suddenly realized what might happen next. She had to get away, she had to go find Sam, or else there would be no way of escaping, and she would end up being hurt in more ways than she ever imagined.

"I have to go find her!" she told her boyfriend, trying to slip out of his grip, but he actually tightened his hold on her hand, increasing the surge of pain that erupted from it, and she moaned out of pain, feeling as if the bones were being crushed instantly. She turned to him, the sadness and pleas of her past suddenly coming back into those gray pools that were her eyes, but his dark eyes were burning like black flames, filled with such hate and anger, Lucifer might as well be shaking in his boots. "Please, Julian, let me go find her!"

"I wonder," he started off, completely ignoring her fearful looks and cries. "Is it Samantha you want to find, or is it your little boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? You're my boyfriend," she told him, though her heart was pounding out of horror as she suddenly realized that he might now know about Christopher. _Please, God, don't let him know! If you really are merciful, don't let him know!_

"Oh, really? Because a few nights ago, I came here, and I saw you here, dancing…with another man. You had your arms around him, he had his arms around you, it looked like you guys were really passionate about each other. So, who is he?" his voice was cold, no mercy, no life, only a dead, powerful growl that threatened all peace, all sanity that still existed within her. Her heart was pounding even faster, throbbing in her chest, and she felt all warmth, all life suddenly wash away from her body. This man had taken it all from her, her joy, her happiness, and all of a sudden, she was the one who felt guilty, who felt awful, she was the one who felt unfaithful to him, though she knew he had to have had someone else on the side besides her.

"What are you talking about?" _play innocent. Damn it, I'm a horrible liar!_

"Don't lie to me. Don't you dare fucking lie to me! Who was he? Who was the bastard that you're cheating on me with?!" Julian tightened his hold around her hand, and she cried out in pain, feeling him trying to crush every bone there was.

"No one! I'm not cheating on you!" she yelled back, but her cries were half-words, half-yells of pain and agony. She looked up into his face, her eyes filling with tears, but there was mercy in his eyes, no kindness, and no pity. He hated her. What else could she expect from him? He had always hated her. He never loved her, like she believed. He just used her, toyed with her, and then when he was done with her, he was going to discard her. Just like all other men before him who have stepped into his place….

He didn't listen to her yells and cries of suffering, he just pulled her behind him—his grip crushing her hand—towards the other side of the building. The whole time she was struggling to get free, to get away, but he kept his hold on her. He dragged her towards a door that said "_EXIT_" in bold neon green lights, and then he thrust the door open, revealing the dark shadows of a back alley, the same shadows that haunted her nightmares. She didn't even realize what was happening until she felt his hand on her back, shoving her into the darkness of the narrow alley, and her body collided into a row of trash cans, causing pain to awaken from within her body, a chorus of crashing aluminum filling the alley way and deafening her ears. She rubbed her head where she had hit against the brick side of the opposite building, but when she looked up to see her boyfriend towering over her, she knew that it was only the beginning of the torture she was about to endure.

* * *

"Sam!" 

The woman turned around on her bar stool, her dark red hair held up in a messy bun, her face colored perfectly with make-up, while her body was dressed in a sexy red dress with strapped heels and a gold chain wrapped tightly around her neck. Unlike most of the other people at the bar, her brown eyes were full of life and sobriety. When the approaching man looked from her eyes to her drink—a simple glass of ice tea—he suddenly realized that she wasn't one of those women that would come and drown her sorrows and pain with the bottle. It was a something awkward to see, though, this woman without her beloved best friend at her arm, and that was what terrified the man as he came up to her, followed by his two brothers, who were just simply confused and stunned by his actions. It didn't even take her a second to recognize him, as the moment he came over, she addressed him as if she had known he would come to her in the end.

"Criss, hi! What's wrong?" she asked him, but the moment she did, her brown eyes scanned the crowded club, looking and searching for a familiar face and a pair of sad, depressed rain gray eyes, but she didn't see them, and then a painful knot started to form in the pit of her stomach. However, it was him who spoke before her what they were both thinking.

"Where is Alli?" Christopher asked of the woman, who shrugged, but her eyes suddenly became filled with fear and horror, as if knowing something horrible was happening right as they spoke.

"I don't know. We split up a while ago. God, I hope that bastard isn't hurting her," although she hadn't realized it, the woman had spoken those words loudly, and all three men turned to her in fear. Before either of them could speak, though, she turned to him, and her face became flushed even more of any color, and her eyes widened. "Criss, you can't be here! If Alli sees you…oh, God!"

She got up from her bar stool and walked quickly past them, her dress flapping at her heels as she walked, unknown to the fact the man had started following her. She finally discovered this when the illusionist reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her on the spot. Sam turned to look at him, but her bond with her best friend prevented her from saying anything to this man, knowing it would only hurt the poor girl and that it would only cause more problems. But as she looked into the man's dark eyes, she saw something she had never seen any man show for her friend, no boyfriend, no man, at least none they had ever known. _Did this guy really care about Allison that much?_ Samantha didn't know, but if he did, she had to at least give him a hint to what_ might_ be going on.

"Criss, I don't know where she's at, but we need to split up to find her. Something bad might be happening," she told him, pulling out of his hold, but he kept his hand on her arm, staring into those soft brown eyes, searching for a meaning to her words, a clue as to what she meant.

"Something bad? What do you mean? Like what?" he interrogated her, but his brothers suddenly appeared beside him and pulled him back, forcing him to release her.

"Criss, what are you doing?!" JD yelled in his ear.

"Have you gone insane?! What the hell are you thinking?!" Costa added, but the man didn't hear them. He saw the fear, he read it, it was clear and vivid on the woman's face. She knew something that she wasn't telling him, and by keeping it concealed, she was putting a life in danger. The life of an innocent woman. They both knew that something horrible was happening to Alli, but because of her friend's silence, he was unable to save her.

"Sam, tell me what you know. You obviously know something that you're not telling me. Why can't you tell me?!" he ordered of the woman, despite his brothers' words in his ear. She only continued to stare at him, scared, terrified, but not of him. She bowed her head, her brown eyes filling with tears, but she didn't shed them.

"I can't tell you, Criss, I just can't. But we need to find her. Go see if she's in the back alley or something! We need to find her!" With that, Sam gathered up the hem of her dress and started running towards the back of the club where the restrooms were—_let's pray to God she's there_—while Christopher just stood there, his brothers restraining him.

"Criss, what's going on? Why are you acting this way?"

"I need to find her…."

"Come on, let's get out of here."

"I need to find her…."

"Christopher, you're acting crazy."

"GET THE FUCK OFF! I NEED TO FIND HER!"

Christopher tore out of his brothers' clutches and ran through the sea of dancing figures—_empty, faceless silhouettes in the spinning lights of never-ending nightmares and tragedies_—and darted towards the back door with the glaring neon green sign that read "_EXIT_." He didn't know why he felt like he needed to find her, just the painful knot in his stomach told him that she was in trouble, but he didn't even know what kind of trouble. At least, not until he threw open the door to the alley beyond, the shadows splitting across the moonlight to allow him to behold the scene happening before him.

"YOU STUPID WHORE!"

A sound escaped the poor creature's mouth—a sound that was more heart-breaking than one of an abused animal would make when being hit violently by its cruel and malicious owner—droplets of blood splattering from its lips across the pavement of the alley, its body shaking and trembling as the foot collided into the side of its ribs, not once, not twice, but four times, and each time the sound would escape from within its chest, worse and more depressing than the one before. The man stood in the doorway, watching this scene happen before his eyes, fear, terror, and melancholy coursing through his entire body, and with each sound that was made, each little cry of pain, every harsh word or crashing, cracking sound of the creature's body, that knot in the bottom of his bowels would tighten substantially, increasing the flow of pain through his body, making him experience similar suffering that the creature was. However, nothing could make him experience what she was anguishing from, as her pain was a millions times worse than that of guilt and grief. Tears welled up in his eyes as he witness the other man yell again at her, both unaware of his existence there.

"GET UP! GET UP! YOU STUPID FUCKING COW—"

The man grabbed the side of her head by her hair—the once light, soft, strawberry blond hair—and through her entire body into the wall, her head bouncing off of the surface, and a soft sound escape her once more. She fell forward back into the ground, but even despite the fact blood was streaming down the side of pale and bruised face, despite the fact her body was mangled and injured, the man kept on going after her. The illusionist couldn't take it anymore, the paralyzes that had come over him suddenly flooded away when he saw the stranger toy with the belt of his pants, instantly knowing what he was about to do.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!"

Time couldn't keep up with him. He didn't even realize what he was doing, how he was acting, until he had the other man pinned against the opposite wall of the club, his forearm pressed against his chest hard, the abuser suffocating and choking, and the magician didn't even realize that his hand was wrapped tightly around his throat, his dark eyes suddenly burning black in the shadows of the alley, desiring, wishing, to take this man's life for harming such a sweet and innocent soul. His entire soul and heart was aflame with the craving to take his life, to hurt him in the exact same way he had been hurting her—_despite her sin, despite her disobedience, Adam still defended and protected Eve, even from the wrath of his creator_—but…the human inside him, the Catholic, knew that there was no such thing as "_an eye for an eye_" in this injustice of a world. The other man continued to stare at him, his eyes wide with terror and fear, pleads for his life bright and shining, yet…when her sad gray eyes pleaded for mercy, did he give any to her?

"Please…please…don't kill me….Have mercy…" he pleaded breathlessly to the stronger man, but in his eyes burned the protection, the safety, the concern, the grief that he was suffering for the poor little creature.

"Mercy? Didn't she plead for mercy when you beat her ribs in?!" his voice was rising, angry, and his grip on this coward's throat tightened, practically choking him to death. "Men like you are scum! Nothing but fucking cowards that like to show how strong they are by beating up defenseless, innocent women! Cowards like you deserve to die!"

"Please…please…don't kill me…" the man pleaded for his life, but Criss didn't hear him. He didn't want to hear him. He hated him for what he had done to Alli. He hated him with every bit of himself because he had hurt her, and that he couldn't forgive. No man was ever allowed to raise his hand to a woman, let alone actually strike her with it. But…if he was going to kill this man, he would be sinning against God, and then everything he had worked for, everything he had accomplished in his life would be all for nothing, and then…if she ever regained consciousness, what would she think of him? That was what stung him the most. He didn't care about his reputation, he didn't care about his career. He cared about what she saw him as. Not a killer…never this cold-blooded killer….

"I'm not going to kill you," he released the man, and he fell to his knees on the ground. "You just better get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind!"

At his words, the coward stumbled to his feet and ran the opposite direction through the alley and into the shadows of the night. After a moment of realizing that he was gone, and all sensibility came flooding back into the magician, he turned to the woman slumped against the wall, her head bowed in her chest, and streams of blood pouring from her crown. Her outfit was torn and askew on her body, black and blue bruises were on her cheek, her arms, her legs, and even a large one was on her neck—_mother fucker tried to strangle her!_

Her head moved a little, and a soft, faint moan escaped her lips. At that sound, all hate and anger disappeared from the man, and he fell before her, just inches in front of her, and he placed his hands gently on both sides of her face, tilting it back and placing his forehead against hers—_her skin was warm, soft, and she didn't wince when his fingers brushed against her newly created bruise_—closing his eyes just so he could feel her life pulsating through his hands. He felt her pulse—_her steady…yet slow heartbeat_—and he knew she was still alive. But…was she conscious?

"Alli…Allison, it's me, Christopher," he whispered to her, keeping his eyes closed, but bringing his face a little closer to hers so he could feel her warmth a little better. She moaned softly again, but her gray eyes didn't open.

"Alli…you can hear me...come back to me….Wake up…" he spoke to her again, and she moaned in response, her head tilting back even farther. He released her and he watched as she opened her eyes—_those sad, sweet, gray eyes_—to find his dark ones staring back at her. For a moment, she couldn't speak, pain engulfing her head and body—_her side hurt like a fucking bitch_—but then, everything seemed to fade away, all the pain, all the suffering, all the misery she had endured, it washed away when she finally realized that this wasn't a sweet dream she was having. This was real. He was here, he was real, and he was with her. She was safe once more, as he had brought her back into that imaginary Eden that was only meant for the two of them.

"Christopher?" she sighed, her voice nothing more than a weak, fragile breath that came out choked and broken. She shuddered from the pain—the eclipsing suffering that she had awoken with suddenly became nothing more than a numb, endless sea, a sea in which she treaded in for so long. Suddenly, the water of this abyss turned to a different sensation around her, relaxing, breath-taking, and it seemed to heal all of her wounds, all of her injuries, and merely just allowed her to float upon the surface, the golden lake of Eden that he had created for her.

"Christopher, I'm…I'm so tired…" she sighed her words softly, closing her eyes and allowing her head to tilt back down, but he kept it up.

"No! No! Alli, don't fall asleep!" Criss was frantic now, feeling that if she suddenly fell into that tempting place of dreams and peace, she wouldn't be able to come back from it. She wouldn't be able to come back to him….

"But I'm so tired…" she whined, though her voice came out like a soft whine of a precious, wounded animal in pain. He pushed her head back up, forcing her eyes open again with his fingers.

"Don't fall asleep! Alli, please, look at me! Don't fall asleep!" he yelled at her, shaking her gently. Her eyes opened a little more, but there was a gaze within them…a broken, sad, depressing gaze that made his entire body shudder inside. That look within them wasn't one anyone should have to see. It was a look only a child could give, a child who was hurt, crying, and abused by someone who was supposed to take care of her, someone who was supposed to love her. Tears formed in his eyes as he saw exactly why her gray eyes looked like the rain, he saw exactly why the rain was supposed to be so depressing. When he saw that look, he knew that there was a storm raging within her…a raging, powerful storm that was crashing and destroying the peaceful world of her Eden…a typhoon that was slowly ripping apart her shelter, leaving her to drift among the shattered pieces in the blackness…merely another victim of so many violent and terrible tempests, only what made it worse for her was that not only could she not be able to be protected from it, but it tore away the last place she could escape from her twisted reality….


	12. Night After The Storm

Chapter XII: Night After The Storm

"Alli!"

A sobbing Samantha ran to her friend when she finally saw her coming back into the club, clinging to the man for stability. It was a tearful moment when the older woman took her into her arms, and sobbed into shoulder out of fear and horror, seeing her as nothing more but a bloody, bruised mess. The other two men came over, as well, but their eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion when they looked from their younger brother to the indignant woman, and then back. Costa literally had to pull the man away, and it was then that he explained to them what he had seen and happened. By the time he was done, the younger woman was sitting in a chair against the wall, her friend gone to retrieve her some water to drink. The three Sarantakos brothers then gathered together to come up with an idea to solve this little matter, seeing as how the woman was refusing to get medical treatment or call the authorities.

"It's not a good idea right now. Besides, I'm fine," she tried to smile sincerely, but the man had acquired the same special vision that allowed him to see through her mask that Sam had, though unlike the woman, he didn't try to force the truth out of her. The mask had deeper cracks in it, now, and it was becoming difficult to wear it out in public anymore.

"I think it would be a bad idea if she went back to the apartment. Knowing the fucker that Julian is, he'll probably show up again and confront her about you," Sam informed Christopher when she came back with a tall glass of water. She handed it to her friend, and practically nursed it to her, knowing how frail she was at the moment.

"Does she have any family she can stay with?" Costa asked of Sam, who seemed to be Alli's voice for the moment—the woman seemed too stunned to speak at all. It was even highly believed that she wasn't even listening to what was going on around her, just dazing in and out of reality and that fantasy world that she had been clinging to since she had been saved in the alley.

"She has her mother, but I doubt if that will make anything better. Her mother and she are kind of…estranged," Sam informed them. Alli was starting to cough a little, and she leaned down to wipe the blood from her lips with a napkin.

"What about a motel?" JD suggested, and once again, Sam shook her head.

"That's not a good idea, either. Usually after all this happens—"

"'_Usually_'? You mean this bastard has done this to her before?!" Christopher blurted out from his long moment of stunned silence, and Sam—despite her promise to Alli in keeping silent about the on-going abuse—nodded submissively. The three men just paused, hesitant to say anything more out of shock and terror that something like this—things that they had only heard of in the news or on fictional television series—was actually possible of happening, and that the trauma was far worse than they had ever imagined.

"It's not a good idea to have her stay in a motel. I usually have to spend the whole night with her when something like this happens. If she's alone, chances are it'll do more damage than he did," Sam explained quickly, though she wasn't looking at them, but at her friend. She took her friend's face in her hands and looked into those eyes—_the storm was still raging within_—whispering softly to her as she stroked her face like a mother. "It's okay. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay, baby."

"What if she stayed with us?"

No one was expecting this question to come from the man who had rescued her, the man who had now bare witness to the troubling situation that had presented itself to him. Yet, it came from him, and it was the only solution that he could come up with, however depressing that may have sounded. His brothers turned to him, yet there was complete sincerity and seriousness that bore from within those dark eyes, and they knew that they only burned like that when he was absolutely sure of performing a dangerous stunt, a violent and life-threatening stunt that he was not afraid to take. This wasn't a stunt, though, this was reality, this was actually happening, yet it was just as dangerous as any stunt he had performed before, if not, more dangerous. Sam even turned to him, shocked and fearful, though the woman she was caring for seemed to be too far away mentally to have really heard anything.

"Criss, I don't know—"

"It's the only way, really. That bastard doesn't know where I am, he doesn't know me, and he'll never be able to find her. She won't be alone, we're going to be there, plus my mother and a few other people," Christopher explained, but his brothers were looking at him as if he had gone insane—it was a typical, common look they always gave him when he was about to do something stupid and deadly.

"Criss, that really isn't a good idea," JD spoke, but he wasn't listening. Apparently, he had said something that brought the poor victim out of her daze, and she looked up briefly, her body filling with terror and fear. Those gray eyes said everything that needed to be said—_please, don't get involved, Criss_—yet he paid no notice to this, knowing that both his heart and mind were in the right place, as the only thing he was concerned about for the moment was her safety and her sanity. That was all he cared about for the time being.

"Christopher, I'm telling you, I don't think it would be a good idea. Perhaps she doesn't want so many people to know about this! Maybe she just wants to forget this all happened!" Costa tried to explain to him, but once again, Criss was not hearing him. How could anyone forget what had just happened? And then…to suddenly be torn apart and realize that it had been happening for a long time? He knew he sure as hell wouldn't be able to forget it.

"It's the only way I can help her," it was all the man could say, his body suddenly feeling cold and numb, as if a tidal wave had swept over him from the arctic tundra, and took hold of him. He couldn't tell whether it was just his imagination or due to sweat, but his clothes suddenly felt limp and damp on his body, as if water really had been splashed on him.

"Sophia…" the woman muttered the name softly, yet, she wasn't speaking to anyone in particular. She did, however, bring a sudden sense of reality and remembrance to her friend, who suddenly realized she had forgotten about the young child that was in her care. However, this wasn't supposed to matter much, as the child was spending the night at her friend's house. As Sam thought about Criss' offer more and more, she began to realize that however much it may have _sounded_ like a bad idea, the truth of the matter was, it was the only other option they had, and it seemed to be the only one that could assure both the victim's safety and her sanity.

"I still think this is a horrible idea, but…" Sam kneeled down and placed her hands on the side of the woman's face, stroking her cheek lovingly. She closed her eyes and put her forehead to the other woman's, whispering softly to her. "You're going to be safe, okay? You're going to alright."

She then pulled away, and faced the man like a parent would face the teenager that their child was about to take a steady and romantic relationship with. Her brown eyes bore into his dark ones, and he saw within them a look of complete seriousness, sternness, and above all…protection. These two women were quite intimate for being friends, but this could be explained due to their long and violent history that the two of have both witnessed and endured together. Samantha was practically a sister to Alli, whereas Alli was like a little sister to Sam. There was no way of tearing one from the other, and there certainly was no possible way of harming one without the other not only knowing, but unleashing unbelievable wrath that Hell had never seen before upon the one who harmed her beloved friend.

"Christopher, I am trusting you with her. If she gets hurt anymore, mentally, physically, or emotionally, I will go after you with a gat," she warned him, and he nodded, agreeing to the terms and conditions she had set for him, even agreeing to the threat of coming after him with a violent and gruesome gun should anything happen.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he winked at the woman playfully, who reacted in a positive way, smiling warmly. She then turned back to the other friend sitting in the chair, and spoke softly to her.

"Alli? Alli, come on. You're going with Christopher," she spoke to her like as if she was a child, but according to the state of mind she was in, it was the only way to speak to her and not cause any more damage to her psyche.

Alli took her friend's hand and got to her feet—stumbling just slightly—and walking weakly, she clung to her friend's arm as Sam guided her out of the dance club, past the gawking and staring eyes—_eyes painted forever frozen in time, watching like judges of Israel at the sinful, the guilty, the evil as they crossed through the darkness to their death sentence_—and eventually outside into the cool, relaxing air of the night. The moment she stepped out into the night, it was as if the strain, the stress of what had happened to her, the pain of the moment as to why she was going back to a motel with the magician and his brothers suddenly drifted away. She tilted her head back and stared up at the sky, and yet, despite the spinning, blinding neon lights, the pounding, raging music, the flying of headlights down the black pavement, the window lights and streetlamps that seemed to fill the city with a never-resting life that seemed to go on forever, she could make out the sight of twinkling lights across the black canvas that was the sky, faint lights that filled the night with an innocence and delight that the laughter of children could fill a wife desiring children of her own. It was at the moment that her rain gray eyes saw the beauty of the stars that suddenly the pain, the sorrow, the misery that had filled her washed away into nothingness, and in its place was the incredible sensation of relaxation, comfort, warmth—despite the coolness of the night air—and a sensation she had never felt before, something that she could only faintly remember feeling something similar to it back when she was the same age as her naïve little cousin, an emotion that filled her when her father embraced her after such a long time of not being able to see her. It was a feeling so similar to that, but only this one was somehow stronger, more relaxing, yet she couldn't understand why, though.

"Alli?"

A voice called from in front of her, and she looked to suddenly see the man that had taken her to that fantasy world of peace and harmony standing before her, his dark eyes filled with a concern and remorse that made her heart break from within its own shell. He approached her, and within his eyes he examined hers, searching for any pain, any suffering that she might still be enduring. It was now that she suddenly realized that he had saved her, he had protected her, and it was thanks to him that she might still had the last strand of innocence that was still physically existing on her body, let alone her life. She owed him everything, yet…a part of her didn't want him involved. She didn't want to see him get hurt. She felt guilty and a burden of herself to him when she realized how far he had gone out of his way to ensure her safety. No matter how welcomed he made her feel, she only felt like something that added more weight and pressure to his already burdened lifestyle._ I'm just merely another inconvenience to him_, she thought bitterly of herself, and apparently this bitterness of inward emotion reflected within her eyes.

"Christopher, I'm okay now," she told him, but apparently he didn't care what she said.

"No, you're not okay," he told her coldly, yet she knew he was only speaking to her this way because she was making this difficult for him. _Why didn't he just leave and keep me out of his life? Then I won't be such a nuisance to him!_ "Alli, you're hurt. You might not seem fine to yourself, but everyone else can see you're in pain. We're going to take you back to my hotel where you won't be bothered by anyone and you won't have to be alone, either."

"Criss—"

Before she could say anything, a taxi cab rolled up in front of them on the street, and Costa held the door open for her. He stood there, waiting for her, with JD at his side, and she looked from them to Sam, who stood beside her, encouraging her nonverbally or non-physically to get inside the yellow car. She then looked to the man's face, who was giving her a hard look, one that made her feel like a child. She finally realized there was no way in getting out of this. She was so caught up in this situation, if she tried to get out of it and escape, they would follow her, and then she would be causing even more problems. She didn't want to do that. She didn't want to make them suffer because of something she had been responsible for.

She said nothing in argument in anymore, but approached where the cab was, Sam and the provocateur following her. She turned to Sam, who gave her a simple nod, encouraging her once more to get into the cab, and as she obeyed and slipped towards the other side of the car, she heard Christopher mutter to his brothers quickly.

"We'll meet you back at the hotel."

After that, the man slipped in beside her and quickly leaned over the seat to give the driver directions. Costa and JD didn't get into the cab with them—_a normal cab wasn't capable of fitting four people in the backseat, it was barely able to fit two_. Yet, Alli seemed to be more uncomfortable than ever. She positioned herself against the window and refused to look at the man while the car rolled along the street, sitting in complete silence. She felt as if his eyes were glowering at her, angry, hateful. Did he hate her now? Was she just another inconvenience in his life? She didn't want to be. Half of her wanted to crawl under a rock and die quickly out of his sight, and then he could move on pretending he had never known her. The other half of her…well that was the problem. There was no other half. That half was missing, gone, or else numb and undetectable by the other side of her. So, that one half suddenly became all of her, and when he wasn't looking, she shed a soft tear from her gray eyes, which she quickly wiped away when he turned to look at her. She felt so ashamed of herself, so guilty…._God, why can't you just kill me now?! Is this just another one of your sick twisted games of my life?! Do you take humor in torturing me, in using me to put someone else in misery?!_

"Alli, we're here."

She looked up to suddenly realized that the cab had stopped, and she looked out the window to see that it had pulled up in front of the biggest hotel in the city, the lights of the valet and lobby streaming out into the parking lot and driveways. Christopher pulled out of the cab and held out his hand to escort her, and—although she was regretful and feeling ashamed—she took his hand and he pulled her towards the front entrance. He was practically holding her hand, and she felt herself blush, her face turning hot and her body trembling from not only nervousness, but fear. _What if Julian sees us? What if he followed us? What if he finds out? _These were only a couple of the millions of questions that went through her mind, and it was a horrible feeling that coursed through her. He noticed her shaking when they came up to the front double doors, and he turned to her.

"Are you cold?" he asked her, but she shook her head, yet her body continued to tremble and her jaw was actually clenching in the back of her mouth due to the shivers she was getting along her back.

"I'm fine," she barely spoke, but she couldn't say anything else for fear of her teeth clattering or if she actually starts to feel cold. She didn't want him to know, she didn't want him to see just how weak and vulnerable she really was. He obviously didn't care what he said, as he quickly shrugged off his jacket—his muscles were so magnificent as the light of the hotel streamed off of his bare arms in the night—and tossed it around her shoulders—she had somehow lost her own during the struggle that happened in the alley, and at the moment, she didn't care if she even had it on when he did this. She blushed red when he pulled it forward on her shoulders, and then she looked up to find her eyes suddenly instantly bond with his, feeling the strong warmth of the interior leather suddenly surround her, and the sweet, wonderfully intoxicating scent of his cologne entered her nostrils, giving her that high she had been craving for since that night she danced with him. Yet, he didn't say anything more to her as he brought her inside the hotel lobby—which was practically empty due to the late hour of the night—and then they walked quickly towards the hallway where the elevators were. The moment he pushed in the button on the wall, a set of doors opened up, and they both stepped into the moving chamber, alone within it, and the moment it closed, burning, embarrassing thoughts went through Alli's mind as she suddenly realized how many X-rated movies had been made in elevators.

She hadn't even realized that the elevator had closed or was starting to lift up, but when she finally did, the chamber stopped and the doors opened to the two of them into a dark hallway that immediately lit up when they stepped into it. Christopher—still wordless for the moment—dragged her through the entire hallway until they came to the end of it where another set of double doors waited for them. This one, however, was much fancier and artistically crafted than compared to the elevator's doors. She watched as he pulled out a card from his back pocket—a white security card—and swiped it across the black box on the side of the doors. A loud click rang from the box, and then he pushed the doors open, standing back to allow her into the dark hotel room before he came in, closed the door behind himself, and then turned on the light. If the situations had been different, if she had been here on more pleasant circumstances, Alli would have taken more time to look around and be stunned by the fact she had not just stepped into any just normal hotel room, but actually a presidential suite that had enough rooms and bathrooms to house seven people within it. If things had been different, she would've been stunned, surprised, and yet totally excited by the fact how lovely the expensive and glamorous suite seemed to be. Yet, she couldn't do that at the moment, and at the moment, her mind was blank and thoughtless when she watched the man walk into the main room—the living room—and looked around.

"Looks like everyone went to bed. That's alright. I'll explain everything to my Ma in the morning," he told her softly, yet at the words he spoke, her heart started pounding loud and violently in her chest.

"Wait. Criss, I can't stay the night here," she protested, but he turned to her with a cocky grin—God, that grin made her melt inside. He just stared at her, giving her a hard, scanning exam with his eyes, as if trying to see through that cracked mask she had been wearing for most of her life. That mask was starting to wear down, to crack and break, and people were actually being able to see through it.

"You don't really have much of a voice. You can't go home, because you're fucker of a boyfriend can easily find you there, and I think it's best that you have people around you that care about you for the moment. Tomorrow you can go back to the apartment, but not tonight. You have to stay tonight," he told her in a commanding voice, and it was just by merely speaking those words to her that he had made her choice for her, deciding for her just what she was going to do. She couldn't say anything more to him, she couldn't argue any longer, she just merely closed her mouth as disagreeing words escaped from her mind, silencing her into a state of mind of shock, fear, and suppression that could never be titled as anything more than being controlled of once again. Yet this control he had over her was not like the previous controllers that had stood in his place, having walked in his steps, and speaking in the same caring, concerned, yet dominant tone that he gave. The control he had over him was not filled the sense of personal gain and command, but more of warning, precautions, and trembling admonition that only someone who truly cared for her would hold within them.

Christopher moved towards the hallway closet and opened the door, pulling out a large white wool blanket, and then tossed it onto the couch—it landed softly against the soft dark emerald velvet material of the furniture, and just the sight of such a comforting place to rest her head filled her with a relaxation and amazement that just touched her from the core to the surface of her skin. Along with the blanket he tossed a fluffed white pillow, which landed just perfectly against the armrest. The man then turned to her, and a smile crossed his face, yet this one was more kind and sympathetic, giving and humane.

"You can take my room. I don't mind—" he quickly added when he saw her open her mouth again in protest. "This way, in the morning, no one will bother you while you rest, and no one will ask any questions. I have a habit of sleeping on couches, even when there's a warm bed available. I guess that's something you obtain after traveling on the road a lot."

"Criss, I don't know what to say…" her voice was soft, and gentle, barely able to be heard. Yet he smiled as he approached her, though the dreaming, love-addicted fan girl inside her was wondering—_wishing_—that he was going to embrace her and hold her, but the smile he gave was just as warm as any embrace he could ever give.

"Don't say anything, then. The room's down the hall, first door on your right," he told her, but he didn't touch her. He merely reached past her to turn the light off in the living room, and then he took her hand, and dragged her through the darkened living room, into the dark hallway, and then he stopped, just in front of what she could make out as the silhouette of a door. She could sense him smiling in the darkness—_through the darkness of sin Eve always found her way back to the warmth Adam could give her, escaping somehow from the bonds sin had upon her, only to enjoy the rapid freedom that came to her by him away from her creator and the serpent that had grasped at her heel with its venomous fangs_—and felt her face turn hot at the knowledge of this. He opened the door for her, and then released her hand, only for her to feel it drift up to her shoulder, caressing her in a soft, intimate way as the back of his fingers crossed against the side of her face, light, and his fingertips not even able to give life back to those new contusions on her face.

"Goodnight, Alli. Sleep well," he told her gently, and then stood back to allow her to walk past him into the room, only to have him close the room behind her.

As if that weight had been lifted off of her, that grief, that sense of guilt of being a burden to the man, she suddenly leaned back against the door that was closed behind her, and looked around the room just to absorb the comfort, the tenderness, the gentleness that the chamber held within it. Yet, that sense of guilt remained, and even despite the fact she had been given such a reassuring, soothing room to relax and clear her mind within, the chamber fell dead and eerie around her, as if it meant absolutely nothing, insignificant four walls that stood for nothing. Something was missing, and although she didn't want to admit it, although she didn't want to give in to those desires, wishes, and prolonged emotions that were rising like powerful urges of vomiting, she couldn't deny it. Everything about this room just seemed to feel completely lifeless and lonely without someone else beside her within it. After five minutes of internal, mental conflicts, she finally decided she would not be able to lie down on the bed and be able to close her eyes and drift off into that sleep that she so desperately needed unless she conquered her fear and pride and did the unthinkable.

Swallowing her fear and guilt—_a cold lump of transparent ice slid down her throat and nearly choked her to death_—she turned around to face the door and opened it as quietly as she could, finding herself back in the dark and deserted hallway. She stood in the hallway—partly because she was trying to think of which way to go to get to the living room—and then walked into the darkness until she found herself in a more open room, suddenly seeing the silhouette of the fireplace, the armchairs, and the large velvet couch. She approached the back of the couch, and her ears listened carefully to the soft sounds of lungs pulling in and giving out sweet night air from the cushions of the couch. She approached closer enough in order to look down upon the figure shrouded within the blankets—now blackened by the shadows of the night—and then she saw where his head rested, his baseball cap tossed aside to where his dark hair fell against his face. A sudden desire came over her, a desire that was too strong to restrain, too powerful and controlling to ignore and pretend it never was there in the first place. She realized that her body was suddenly no longer under her control, but under the control of the now freed, the now physically able fan girl that was inside of her darkest parts of her soul. Her hand reached over to where his head was, and her fingertips gently stroked against his dark locks, passing over them just barely, feeling the softness that his hair had. Her hand then came back up, and this time, she did more than just barely brush. Her fingers combed through his hair, but the moment they did, she heard his breathing grow rapid, and he stirred out of his traveling path to sleep, and she pulled her hand away as his head turned, and she felt his black eyes boring through the darkness at her, burning and glaring, but she doubted if it was out of annoyance or fear. It was more of curiosity and worry for her—as if he was wondering why she had come back out like a child sent into her room for time-out.

"I'm sorry, again, Christopher. It's just…" her voice was so soft, barely audible in the silence, but she knew he could hear her. His look softened against her, and she smiled a little inside. She might as well tell him what she was feeling while she could, and while she was off of his bad side. "I really don't want to be alone right now. I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's no problem, Alli," he spoke to her calmly from the darkness, and she saw his silhouette move in the pitch blackness, standing up from the couch—dragging the blankets and pillows with himself—and then he turned to face her. "Do you want me to stay in the room with you?"

_Yes! Yes! Please, stay with me! Shut up!_ Alli told herself as the voice of the crazed fan girl started screaming in her mind. She was blushing, though she was grateful he couldn't see her. She nodded, but knew that he couldn't see her moving. Swallowing her nervousness and fear of looking and sounding like an idiot, she realized that despite her two halves fighting with each other, it was the best suggestion to ask for.

"Yes…yes, please. I'm really sorry," she felt her eyes burn with tears as the embarrassment suddenly rise up to her eyes—one even traveled down her cheek and fell—but she bit her lip to prevent herself from sobbing openly in the darkness of the night.

"It's okay. It's okay. Don't cry." How did he know she was crying? It was so dark, it was surprising she could even make out his silhouette from the shadows. She didn't say anything, but followed him back into the hallway, and then closed the door behind herself when they both walked into the room. However, she found herself speaking something she really wished she wouldn't have as she watched his figure lay the blanket down on the floor in front of the bed.

"Criss, stop!" she muttered through the silence, and she saw his figure hesitate, and then she felt his dark eyes turn onto her—the horrible, guilty sensation crawled over her once again as she saw how much of a burden she really was to him.

"What's wrong?" his voice sounded aggravated a little, but she believed that it was more from the fact he didn't know how to help her, mainly because he didn't know what she wanted. He approached her from the darkness, and she could literally feel the warmth of his body emanating onto herself—_oh, such an amazing feeling!_

"I can't…I can't keep doing this to you. I'm such a burden!" she couldn't restrain the tears in her eyes, she couldn't help what she was feeling escape her body and fall to the ground, but she bit her lip to prevent the whining sounds of her own sobs escape her throat, only allowing the tears to fall. What she didn't expect was his reaction to her.

His hands came up to her face, and forcefully tilted her head back, and her eyes widened from surprise and shock, yet she felt so incredible as he held her, warmth, comfort, affection, wanted, desired for, and…strength suddenly stream itself into her veins and took hold of her. She didn't physically react to him holding her, but she did react emotionally, suddenly feeling relaxed and cared for after in this abyss of pure numbness—_it was Adam who always brought about a sense of safety to his beloved, even after all destruction had ended_. She could feel him leaning down to her, and she knew her face was a canvass of red gushing paint splashed across her cheeks, but she didn't care. She felt the hotness in her face, the burning sensation of suddenly being welcomed and cared for by someone else.

"Listen to me, Alli," he whispered to her as he placed his forehead against hers. She could feel his breathing on her face, she could feel his body standing so close to her own, her entire reality just swimming away into the darkness, and once again, she was brought back into that other world that he had created for her. He always brought her there, ever since she walked onto the stage at his show and he lifted her into his arms. That world was suddenly created the moment he touched her, the moment her mind and soul suddenly became his objects to possess. It didn't matter what the situations were, what the reasons were for her being here, so long as she was here with him, she was immediately brought back into her deaf, numb, relaxing Eden of paradise.

"You are never a burden. Never to me. I care about you," he whispered to her, and that was all he had to say to relinquish from her heart the sudden grief, the guilt, the shame, and the embarrassment that was plaguing her the moment the both of them got into the cab and came here. He had that ability to make her forget, to make her clean and washed of any sin, of any pain, of any suffering. She didn't know why he had this power over her, but in the depth of it all, she really didn't care. Why should she, really? So long as the agony was gone and she was made whole by him, there was no reason to question how things were made possible by this man.

He pulled away, only to allow one hand to travel down from her face to her own hands, and he gently grabbed it and—almost suggestively—dragged her towards where the bed was. She didn't protest, she didn't argue, and she didn't pull away. She was in that state of mind where she didn't care what he did to her, what he did with her, so long as it was him only, and so long as she could remain within this fantasy world of peace. She followed by him, and then she could see him sitting down on the edge of the bed, dragging her hand with him. She approached where she was, feeling his dark eyes—black in the shadows—controlling her and manipulating her, and she didn't care. So long as it was him, she was ecstatic for whatever he decided to do to her. She followed his actions, sitting on the edge of the bed—her heart pounding out of natural instincts of embarrassment and anxiety—and then he released her hand, only to feel them both come back up to her face, caressing her softly, just as his voice did when he spoke to her.

"Lie down on the bed," he told her commandingly, "make sure your head in on the pillow."

She obeyed, lying back onto the large mattress and blankets—her face slipping out from between his hands—and she moved herself up closer to the head of it, resting her tireless and stressful head on the comfortable and warm pillows, feeling the soft blankets beneath her. She closed her eyes—though it didn't make much difference as the room was just as dark as it was behind her eyelids—and she felt the bed move, a weight falling onto it, and moving to where she was. Suddenly, fear started coursing through her, embarrassment, shame, and anxiety all at once, her head pounding, her face heating up and flowing red, and these feelings only doubled when she felt his arms wrap around her, bringing her body closer into his. She opened her eyes, hearing a steady heartbeat and breathing in front of her, and realized that her head was bowed into his chest, and her own was starting to ache from pain as her heart raced with anxiety and fear.

"Christopher—"

"It's okay. I don't want you to feel alone, so I'm going to stay here with you until you fall asleep, and I'll be here when you wake up in the morning," he told her softly, wrapping his arms closer around her. _Oh, my God!_

The scent of his cologne was like an everlasting high that filled her nostrils and gave her strength of nostalgia and wistfulness. He held her tighter, his hands slipping onto her shoulders and brushing off his own jacket. It fell limply from the bed to the floor below, leaving her to endure that wonderful, addicting scent of him, the amazing warmth he provided to her, and the enrapturing emotions that no one has ever been able to give her. This man provided so much to her, such an amazing presence….

"Christopher…."

Allowing these sensations, these feelings, to come over her and take control of her, she relaxed her body—her heart still pounding uncontrollably inside her chest—and she seemed to feel the world of illusion that he gave her take full form around her, giving her that great sense of peace, comfort, and distance that was placed between herself and reality. The strings loosened on her back, unable to pull her through that portable right now, as she was right where she needed to be, where she wanted to be, and she didn't care what other people were thinking or going to say about it—_Sam with her constant teasing, Julian with his abusive, possessive personality, Sophia's confusion in the midst of why her older cousin was with another man other than with the man she believed to have been her true love_—all she needed to know was that, despite the fact the storm had torn apart her world, he had somehow rebuilt it for her…just for her….

At last the storm had passed from within her, and the chaos had somehow been swept clean. She was no longer floating on the black lake of the abyss, drifting further and further away from her world and back into the troublesome world of her reality. She had washed ashore onto a beach of her paradise, along with her Adam, and together, their new world had been created—_having been banished from their sacred garden, the two lovers banded together to give life to a new world, a world in which their descendents would populate and give this world life_.

_Christopher…I'm so sorry…._

And with that, the last tear flowed from between her closed eyelashes and down her cheek as she fell into that slumber. It was the last raindrop of the storm….


	13. The Morning After

Chapter XIII: The Morning After….

_"__**I'll still be here when you wake up…."**_

_Criss…._

_"__**Tell me, Alli…if I wasn't famous…if I wasn't rich…if I wasn't Criss Angel, would you still love me**__?"_

_Of course…._

_"__**Really? You would still love me**__?"_

_Yes…._

_"__**What if I died? What would you do if I died**__?"_

_I don't know…._

_The woods grew deeper, the shadows casting over thickly across the tall sequoias that towered over her, creating within the boundaries of the giant trunks and the covering canopies that merely hid the black night sky from her sight. She was running…she didn't know why…but she felt that something was chasing her, following her through the shadows, stalking her, pursuing after her in a violent and aggressive way. Her throat became caught in her chest, her heart was pounding, her lungs felt clasped and clenched within her body, but she couldn't stop. Everything was growing darker around her and she knew that she had to get where she needed to be. Her legs felt tired, her body grew numb and weak, yet she couldn't stop. She couldn't until…._

_She suddenly felt her body come to a stop when she realized light was filtering in from between the trees, and she continued to feel her body moving forward where she could see a section of the woods break apart, and the could see the end of it break off towards the edge of a cliff that pointed clear out to the horizon that was broken between the pitch black, starry night sky and the raging blue surface of the ocean. Yet, her gray eyes traveled to what stood just beyond the edge of the cliff, a man that stood between the sequoias, his back to her, his dark hair billowing softly in the cool night wind. She hesitated, feeling herself suddenly become nervous and afraid of what this man would do, as her heart pounded violently within herself. She stopped just a yard or less away, her eyes watching him hesitantly. What is he going to do?_

_He slowly turned his back away from her, and she felt her insides suddenly become solid ice when his dark eyes landed on her, staring at her in a dreamy, lost gaze. He positioned himself against the wind as if he was preparing to jump off the cliff and plummet to the rocky, violent, merciless ocean below, but she wasn't going to let it happen. _

_"__**Criss, what are you doing**__?" she asked of the man, and he only grinned back at her—the same cocky grin he had always given her, yet this one was far darker, more eerie and omniscient. _

_"__**I want to see something**__," he told her softly, but she continued to look at him, confused, dazed, and terrified. "__**I want to see what you would do, what you would feel, if I died.**__"_

_"__**No! Criss, please, don't**__!" she pleaded with the man, but her cries fell on deaf ears and seemed to become silent against her sore throat and tearful eyes. _

_"__**I want to see. Nothing scares me, but I want to see….I want to see what scares you….I want to know just what you would do if I died….I want to know just how much you love me….**__" He turned back to the edge of the cliff, and he took one step over the edge…._

_"__**Criss! No!"**_

She awoke with a sudden start in a weird and unfamiliar place, her face drenched in sweat, her hands clenching tightly at the blanket under her, her breathing fast and unsteady as she inhaled and exhaled out of her chest. She shook violently as she looked around, trying to remember where exactly she was. It took a long time, but it wasn't until she saw the man sitting in a chair against the wall, his eyes poured over an open book in his hand—the same man that had been in her dream—that she suddenly remembered where she was. She looked from the man to suddenly find his eyes locked on hers, and she felt her face turn a deep shade of red as the intensity of his stare flowed through her and controlled her. But then that cocky grin seemed to come back to his lips, and her heart seemed to relax and ease down a little from its nervousness.

"**Good morning, beautiful**," he grinned at her, and she smiled back at him, feeling that sudden warmth surround her again. Why, though, did this man have that kind of effect on her when no one else had before made her feel like this? What made him so different—other than the fact he was a world-known illusionist and stuntman?

"**How long did you wait**?" she asked him curiously, wondering how long he had been sitting there, waiting for her to wake up. She vaguely remembered the words he had told her last night before she drifted into slumber, but she was wondering if he had really spoken those words, or they were only a part of her peaceful and romantic imaginary world that she had made up while she was on the verge of entering that wonderful dream world of her subconscious mind.

"**About two hours or so**," he answered her simply, that smile of his widening. He made her heart melt, but she didn't understand why, though. He just seemed to be the very master that pulled at the strings that bound her limbs and body, yet the strings were loose in his hand, slipping through, allowing her to be able to move on her own willingly.

"**You…you didn't have to wait that long**," she told him in response. Her voice came out soft and gentle, almost like a child's, but it was a lot better than sounding like a croaking toad.

"**Yeah, I didn't **_**have**_** to, but I **_**wanted**_** to. I told you I was going to be here until you woke up**," he answered her, and for a moment she believed that he had winked at her, but it was only a quick, brief moment that seemed to vanish before it even came, but she did see that it was there, even though half of her was doubting that it even was, and it made her blush again, her heart melting again.

"**Wow. Well…thank you**."

Christopher merely smiled at her sweetly, and then he got up from the chair, tossing the book carelessly to the bed—Alli's gray eyes followed it, only to see the familiar front cover of the ever popular book, "_Sweeney Todd."_ At once, Alli suddenly became engaged in the front cover and the known story of the book—_a barber who had been torn from his love and child due to a false crime returns years later only to discover his wife was dead and child was adopted by the very man that falsely accused him, and he seeks revenge along with a woman who becomes completely infatuated with him, becoming one of the first ever seen serial killers_. However, despite the fact that he might look it, who would have ever believed that this man was into those romance-based, horror-filled stories?

"**JD and Costa got back to the suite a little later than we did. They had to escort your friend, Sam, home, just to make sure your boyfriend wouldn't do something stupid. I think they're still sleeping in. But my Ma's up, and I'm sure she'd love to meet you**," Christopher didn't look at her directly, but merely looked at her reflection through the mirror on the wall as he tried to rub his eyes of any sign of his slumber.

"**That was sweet of them. I don't know how I can ever thank you guys**," she told him back, bowing her eyes from him—they still drifted to the book on the edge of the bed. Maybe that would be another one to read later on when she wasn't stuck reading something else for her class.

"**You don't have to thank us. We're more than happy to help. Well, I know I am, but I'm pretty sure my brothers don't mind, either**."

"**Still…you went out of your way…you saved…I just…I don't…."**

Tears filled her eyes, but they weren't of grief or guilt, but more of suddenly realizing that, despite her history with world, despite her history with men and all of humanity, there actually were some people out there who cared, people that loved and took care of others just out of the kindness of their heart. There were people out there who were willing to defend others, who were willing to protect, who were willing to get people that were weak, defenseless, and vulnerable back onto their feet and to take the stance of defense against the odds and power of the world around them. People like her dad….

"**Hey, why are you crying**?"

"**I'm just sentimental**!"

Half of her was laughing, most of her was laughing, but nothing could stop the tears from falling, nothing could stop those mourning emotions of longing and missing that man that would stand by her side through it all and make her feel warm and loved, no matter what trouble she got into. She covered her eyes with her hands, but even though she was smiling behind them, she knew these tears had only been building for so long. Now wasn't the time for them to come out, though. Now wasn't the time….

"**Alli, why don't you join us for breakfast**?" Christopher offered to her from the doorway, and she looked up, feeling slightly amazed and shocked by what he had offered her. As much as she desired to, she knew she couldn't, because there were two girls waiting for her at home, and she couldn't just leave and not show up as soon as possible the next day. Not to mention, she would look like a horrible mother if someone showed up to check up on Sophia.

"**I can't, Christopher. I have to go home**," she told him quickly, but in her voice was the tone of desiring to, of wanting to. She was even starting to feel accountable by turning his offer down. Not to mention a part of her really wanted to meet his mother, the woman he frequently talked about when they spoke over the phone. "I'm sorry."

"**It's no problem. If you could, though, would you be willing to meet my Ma real quick**?" he asked her, and her heart pounded a little inside. She knew it was a typical relationship action for a woman to meet her boyfriend's mother, or for the boyfriend to meet the girl's father, but it was a surprise to her, as she had never officially met Julian's parents, and yet this man, who she wasn't even involved with, wanted her to meet his mother. She was flattered, incredibly flattered, and she smiled pleasantly.

"**I'd love to**."

The grin on his face was something that couldn't be faked, it couldn't have been nothing more than a mask, it was sincere, heartwarming, and even a bit innocent, like as if her agreeing to meet the rest of his family was something he had been hoping to do for a long time. He opened the door, and the moment he did, she rolled off of the bed and pounced onto her feet, following him quickly out the door. The moment she stepped into the hallway, she saw exactly what she wasn't able to see last night due to the darkness—the lightly, homey colored walls and large elegant windows that peered into the outside, revealing the skies, the streets, the buildings, and the city that existed beyond them. Christopher turned to her with a proud grin, and she felt her face grow warm quickly, but she was smiling back willingly.

"**Stay here. I know my Ma is going to like you, but I want to see the look on her face. I want to see what she'll do**," he told her softly, and she merely nodded in agreement, though a piece of her dream came back to her, making her experience a strange sensation of déjà vu.

_"__**…I want to see…."**_

"**Wait here**."

She listened, standing in the hallway, and then watched him as he walked through hallway into the opening where the living room was, and Alli suddenly realized that from where she was she could see a third of the living room, and about half of the sofa that he almost ended up sleeping on last night. Sitting on the couch she could see the back of a woman's head, her black hair curly and it fell past her shoulders in a fair way. With a nervous heart, she watched the illusionist approach the woman sitting on the couch, and that arrogant grin widened.

"**Morning, Mom. Hey, can I ask you something**?" he asked of her gently, though he sounded like a child suffering from anxiety that he may get in trouble for something. The woman looked up at him, her sudden posture changed to that of a mother preparing herself to hear the worst news. Alli stood silently in the hallway, feeling her body tremble slightly from excitement. What was this man trying to do?

"**Of course, Christopher**," the woman responded sweetly, though her tone was one of annoyance. Being the mother of a deranged, death-seeking wild man could have its problems and conflicts to it, so it could become annoying as the man suddenly became older, though never growing out of his childish antics.

"**Mom, don't be mad at me, but…what would you do if I ran off last night and got married**?" he asked her the most troublesome and hated words any mother would want to hear escape from her child's lips, whether man or woman. It didn't matter. It was a mother's job to be involved in the child's life, in the child's blissful matrimony, and even Alli felt like Criss was just tapping on his mother's last nerve by speaking these things. Yet, being the woman who gave life to such a playful and manipulating man, you would think she would be used to these kind of sick and twisted jokes. Apparently, she was.

"**Christopher, you would think I'd be used to those jokes of yours by now. You would never go as far as to disrespect me like that**," she spoke to her son sternly, and Alli felt her heart suddenly pound, not in fear or anxiety, but more in surprise that the woman understood her son than anyone else, as a mother should.

"**Mom, you know I love you, you're the most important woman in my life. But…I'm afraid there is a second woman now**," Christopher actually sounded sincere, as if every word that escaped from his mouth was the complete and honest truth. The woman obviously heard him clearly, her head jerking up to meet his eyes and Alli could see her trembling a little.

"**What are you saying**?" she asked him like a police officer, trying to interrogate the suspect of a wrong that he supposedly did. Criss looked up from her to the hallway where Alli waited, and then her gray eyes scanned down towards where his hands were by his side, gesturing to her unnoticeably for her to approach. She obeyed the gesture while he tried to explain to his mother of the horrible deed he had committed.

"**Mom, please, don't be mad at me. But I fell in love last night. I met a beautiful woman, and…the first thought that went through my mind was, **_**'I have to have her! I have to have her! She has to be wife**_!'"

"**Christopher, where are you going with this**?!" the woman jumped to her feet before Alli could make a show of leaping into the living room into his arms like an infatuated wife should, but she stood in a place that kept her hidden, waiting for the right moment.

"**Mom…I'm sorry, but…I want you to meet the new Mrs. Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos**!"

That was it! The perfect timing to execute her part of the prank. As elegantly as she could, Alli pounced on her toes through the living room and—although she stubbed her toe against the side of the couch like the klutz that she was—threw herself directly into Criss' arms, keeping her eyes opened to see the woman—much older than she was, though still had the beauty that surprised all of her age—gawking at her, as if she was some creature from the bowels of Hell having been unleashed onto her child. She smiled back as sweetly and innocently as she could, but it was difficult to maintain a straight and serious face when she realized how wrong this joke was.

"**Christopher! Who…who is this…**" the woman was stuttering and stammering uncontrollably at the sudden presence of an unfamiliar girl in the living room, a woman that was half her son's age, a woman that she had never seen or met before. Alli felt so embarrassed, but this joke, although treading dearly over the line of security and safety, was humorous when it would all be over.

"**I'm sorry, I'm Alli! It's so great to finally meet you! Criss tells me so much about you**!" she told the woman softly, but the woman gave the look as if she had said everything that repulsive, rude, horrible, and above all, venomous to the woman's ears.

"**Christopher**!" the woman glared at her son threateningly, which was all that it took to lit it off, and Criss turned to the younger girl beside him, and in just one look, all tension, all anxiety suddenly lifted when he cracked into a hearty smile which eventually broke into a hearty laugh. The woman continued to gaze, stunned, shocked, surprised, but no sooner than when he started laughing that Alli seemed to break up giggling, but the poor woman was standing there, shocked and surprised, unable to respond to what the hilarious joke was.

"**Christopher**!"

"**I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry**," Christopher leaned over, his hands clutching his abdomen from laughter. Apparently the woman finally got the understanding of just what was going on. She gave her son a cold look, one that would leave any child trembling with fear of what their punishment would be, but apparently Criss didn't feel so threatened.

"**Christopher, what is going on**?!" the woman scolded at the man, who was breathless from laughing and unable to answer. Alli, suddenly realizing the joke was now over, decided to explain herself to this woman.

"**I'm sorry, ma'am, I really am. Criss wanted me to play along. I'm not really married to him**," she explained herself, and there was a look on the man's face in realizing that the game was over, his fun had been had, and it was time to come clean—however soon it may have been.

"**Then who are you**?" the stranger actually sounded like a police officer, interrogating a suspect of a crime she hasn't committed, but eventually will.

"**I'm really sorry about that. I'm Alli. Christopher and I are just good friends—trust me, that's all we are**," Alli smiled in a friendly manner, though the look she was being given told her enough that this woman would never like her because of the stunt she pulled. Finally, Christopher spoke up, breaking the tension in the air.

"**She's telling the truth, Mom. Something happened last night and I invited her to spend the night here. Everything's alright, and if you need me, I can give evidence that I am—in fact—not married again**," he told her, and it seemed that her son's words were more important that this complete stranger's, as her face relaxed, and at last she seemed to more human and less of a controlling parent.

"**Alright, Christopher, I believe you. You need to stop pulling these tricks on me, otherwise it'll become harder and harder to believe anything you say. Do I need to remind a forty-year-old man of an old-time classic**?"

Alli had to restrain a laugh, as she was suddenly reminded of the age-old tale of "_The_ _Boy Who Cried Wolf_." Strangely, that had been what this woman had meant, and she was speaking the truth. The younger girl felt somewhat more alive and cheerful than she had been the night before, and oddly enough, she couldn't really remember what had happened the night before. This man seemed to have completely cleansed her from that horrible nightmare of reality that seemed so far away. He had brought her into a new reality, into a new world that was nothing more than an actual pleasant dream, but it seemed so much more than that. This man actually was her _Adam_, the very man meant to bring her into that peaceful Eden of comfort and shelter. Yet, even her Adam had a playful, child-like side to himself.

"**Anyways, Alli, I would like you to meet my mother, Dimitra**."

Alli—trying to start over with this woman whom she was somewhat afraid of—held out her hand to the older woman, who smiled at how friendly this young girl was, and shook it.

"**It is a pleasure to meet you, Alli. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances**," Dimitra's laugh was much like her son's, if not more feminine and soft. Alli forced a laugh, looking at Christopher for some help in this situation. He only shrugged with a smile, and then Dimitra added. "Will you be joining us for breakfast?"

"**Um…**."

"**She can't, Ma, I'm sorry**."

Christopher spoke for her, grabbing her arm softly, as if commanding her—she was strangely reminded of all those times Julian had grabbed her the same way, commanding her the same way, and a thrill of fear and pain went through her, a shiver running down her spine violently. A part of her kept saying that this man was not like Julian or any of the other men she had been with, but her instincts kept her on her toes, her guard always up and protecting her, always watching for those that wanted or could do harm to her.

"**Maybe some other time, then. It's was…interesting meeting you, Alli**." Dimitra grinned.

"**Like wise**."

Alli was then gently led out of the apartment by the illusionist, feeling the older woman's eyes on her back, but this feeling was then severed when the doors closed behind them, and she found herself standing out in the hallway with this man. He released her arm, and she looked up into his face, his eyes turned away from her, staring into the opposite wall, dazing into space. He was lost within his thoughts, trapped within the prison of darkness and shadows that haunted her as well, though she desired to know just what it was that he was thinking. He was acting strange, having her play that joke on his mother just to meet her, and then making her leave as soon as they had just met. Something was definitely on his mind, but what?

"**Criss…**." She reached over and gently brushed the tip of her fingers along his arm, and she could feel something morph between the two of them, a bond of some kind, and her mind felt relaxed and weak, as if her soul had entered his body, had entered into his thoughts, and she felt everything he was feeling, the silent shiver rise up against the spine, the confusion and shock that was still there from the night before. Yet, that moment of fusion with him was broken when he blinked and turned to her, but not with that arrogant grin that he always showed. That smile was…different. There was an emotion in it that she did not recognize, a look that was unclear, fogged, but a part of her didn't want to know what lingered behind those dark eyes of his.

"**Shall we go**?" he asked of her, and she couldn't do anything more than nod. An image came to her mind, an image of a sweet and innocent soul, a precious life that had not yet grown into its full existence in this world. A sweet soul with long curtains of ebony and sparkling orbs of emerald that was filled with a grace that few women in this world even had, yet this was a soul who was not even a woman. This image brought back emotions inside of her, but they weren't painful, like so many others. These emotions were pleasant, fulfilled, sweet, cheerful, and even….

She had to get home. She had to get back to the apartment. There was no way to deny it. She was missing her child very much. She had gone a day without seeing her before, but something about now…something about this day made her feel like she needed to be with her, she needed to be with her little cousin, the little one she lovingly called "_**Pretty Sophie**_."

"**Christopher…why don't you meet me later today at the park? I think it would be nice, and I think Sophia might like seeing you again**," Alli suggested as the two of them entered the elevator, and there was a look on the man's face that filled her with a warm light that was hardly ever shown before.

"**That sounds like a good idea. What time**?" he asked her back. His interest was peeked, but the woman had a feeling there was something more behind it than the desire to see such a cute and precious little girl.

"**How about three**?" Alli responded, and then the elevator stopped, and the two of them walked through the lobby and out into the parking lot where an empty cab waited—_had he called it before she had even woken up?_ She didn't ask when he opened the door for her.

"**It's a date, then**."

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out of any protest or response at all against his words, and he winked at her as he closed the door, and left her thinking the very phrase he knew she was going to say, but didn't secretly want to hear. As the cab drove off towards the apartment, she was staring out the window, deep in thought, and finally it blurted from her lips.

"**It's not a date…is it**?"

* * *

-Liz Comic- 

Liz: Okay, because this story needs some comic-relief for it, I felt I should add this bit to the end of every chapter just to brighten some moods after you guys read each chapter, depending on whether the chapter was serious or non-serious will depict the humor of the comic. Well, this is Comic Numero Una, and--

Crys: You spelled it wrong.

Liz:::confused::: What?

Crys: You spelled it wrong. It's "numero uno."

Liz: That's what I said.

Crys: No, you said "una." It's supposed to be spelled u-n-o.

Liz: That's what I did. U-N--

Crys: See? You put an "A."

Liz: Oh.

Crys: No, "A."

Liz: Kay!

Crys: No, you put "A."

Liz: Alright! Alright! Shut up! Shut up!

Crys: Not until you fix it and put "O."

Liz: Kay!

Crys: No, "O."

Liz: Will you--Wait, you're totally F#$&ing with me, aren't you?

Crys: Yes :::grins malevolently:::

(Liz screams and chases after Crys, who's laughing uncontrollably.)

Alli (O.O): Thanx for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it! Please remember to review. I'm sure Liz would very much appreciate it. Thank you!


	14. My Sweet Angel

Chapter XIV: My Sweet Angel

"**Alli, you're home**!"

It was like a breath of fresh air. A sweet, tasting, precious fresh air that left the young woman practically speechless when she stepped over the threshold of the apartment, stepping into the familiar warmth and love that this place gave her. It didn't matter what had happened to her the day before, this place was always what she wanted to come back to, and she always desired to come back to the cheerful smile and laughter of the precious child she cared for. When she came back, the little girl was already home, and the other roommate was in the living room, sitting on the couch, the television blaring of comic-related television shows such as "_Scrubs_." The woman looked up from the television and grinned when her friend entered, and she spoke very calmly and sweetly.

"**Welcome home. Did you sleep well**?" she asked of her friend, who grinned back, suddenly feeling relaxed and not under pressure when the first words to come out of her roommate's mouth weren't "_did you sleep with him_?"

"**It was…an interesting night**." Playfulness, that was all that was needed, and a sarcastic look. It gave everything away that was not true, and the red-haired woman took the bait, looking at her in a suspicious, yet pleasant manner.

"**Sophia, we're going to the park today with someone I know. Why don't you get ready, put on a sun-dress, and we'll go at two-thirty**," Alli instructed the little child, who beamed happily, and ran into the hallway, disappearing behind her bedroom door. This left her and Sam to be alone and talk about the past night.

"**So…what was so interesting about last night**?" Sam got up from the couch and followed her into the kitchen where she pulled out a large glass pitcher of cranberry juice. She poured herself a cup of it, and turned to face her friend, wondering how she could play this along just to entertain her friend.

"**Well…he took me back to his hotel, and…I kind of…slept with him**," she pronounced to her friend, whose mouth couldn't have dropped any farther than what it had. She wasn't lying, but she was just kidding around, wording her sentence exactly to fit the prank she was trying to pull off.

"**You did?! You actually slept with him**?!" Samantha was so excited, it was practically child-like when this information entered her ears. Alli couldn't help but blush deep red as tried to restrain the thoughts of figuratively "_sleeping_" with the illusionist from her mind, but this was hard to do for a virgin twenty-one-year-old.

"**Yeah**," Alli nodded, trying to maintain her composure as serious as possible, while looking somewhat pleased with herself.

"**So…how…how was it**?"

"**It was…it was nice**."

"**Nice? You spent your first time—**_**your actual first time**_**—with one of the hottest men you had ever seen, a famous man mind you, and all you have to say for it was that it was '**_**nice**_?"

"**Well, what do you expect me to say about it? I mean…okay, it was a little bit more than nice. It just…it felt so…**."

"**You didn't actually fuck him, did you**?"

Alli blinked as her friend gave her a skeptical look, and then she sighed. She wasn't as good at pulling off these particular stunts and pranks as Christopher was. But then again, Sam, who had been there a thousand times more than the younger girl ever had been, could easily tell what was the truth about sleeping in the arms of someone and then actually having sex with them—though for Sam, it was kind of hard doing one without the other.

"**No, I didn't have sex with him. But I did sleep with him. He…he just held me all night, it was so sweet**," Alli confessed to her friend, whose skepticism had vanished into a look of sympathy and kindness, a look that brought a warmth inside of her.

"**That's great, Alli. I would've expected something like that to have happened after last night**," Sam actually sounded sincere when she said that, meaning well. Throughout this entire time, her best friend had always been supportive of her, and now that things seem to be dangling on the very edge, it might actually be a good idea to tread out of the depths of the dark ocean she was barely floating in now and into the waiting arms of this man—_the Adam who waited for her on the shore of their new Eden_.

"**So, you and Sophia are going to meet him at the park later**?"

"**Yeah**," Alli answered simply.

"**I think I know what you should do for him**," Sam turned towards the counter and turned on the boom-box sitting there, collecting dust after the days it had not been touched. She turned the radio on—ironically enough, "_Everytime_" by Britney Spears came playing on, one of Sophia's and Alli's favorite songs.

"**What**?"

"**Make him a picnic. Don't give me that look. You're a great cook, you know it. Take a picnic with snacks and food for all three of you, drinks, and even a blanket. Chances are the three of you will be there for a long time, so it'll be a good idea. It's not a romantic gesture, it's sweet, and it would be a good idea to get your mind off of things**."

Alli thought about it for a moment, and she realized that her friend was actually right. A picnic was a good idea. So, without even saying anything, Sam went into her bedroom to retrieve a basket, a large enough blanket, while Alli was occupying the kitchen, pulling out multiple things just to prepare the picnic that she was fantasizing about in her head. She knew she was taking a huge leap by doing this, but she didn't care. Nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. Not Julian, not her relationship with him, not what happened the previous night, not the chaos and trouble of her life. None of that seemed to matter. As she sang along to the song playing on the radio, she realized that everything was at last starting to fall into place in this world, her life finally seemed to be going in the right direction, and there was nothing in the world that could bring her down on this day…absolutely nothing.

"_**And every time I try to fly, I fall. Without my wings, I feel so small. I guess I need you, baby. And every time I see you in my dreams, I see your face, you're haunting me. I guess I need you baby**_…."

* * *

It felt as if stepping out from the inside of the taxi cab had lifted an enormous weight from her shoulders, and the young woman practically stumbled from the change in atmosphere, stepping onto the side walk with the little girl beside her. The air seemed so much fresher, so much more pure and innocent. The towering trees of the park enshrouded the fields of grass in dark shade, the canopy that they stretched across whatever inch of the sky they could reach just thick enough to allow the sunlight to stream across the park in the perfect manner. Children ran across the fields, laughing and playing as they all raced towards the playground on the other side, while couples sat in the shade on blankets or on benches, enjoying each other's company while watching the youthful souls play and run in this innocent world that was fenced in. In her mind, her perfect Eden was like this, in five to ten years, she imagined that her Eden will become this, with her children's laughter filling the world, while her true love sat beside her, embracing her in his loving arms, keeping her forever in his heart…. 

"**Well, I haven't seen two prettier girls in all my life**."

Alli turned at once with a blushing red face when she heard a familiar voice, and she saw the man approach her, the man with the dark hair, the man with the equally mystifying dark eyes that always seemed to pull her into them dramatically. She beamed at him, and he grinned back at her, but his attention was quickly drawn away when the lovely little child pounced on him excitedly, embracing him around the waist—as far as she could reach—like an old friend of hers.

"**Criss! Criss Angel**!" Sophia's laughter was so sweet and loving, even to someone whom she didn't know too well. Christopher grinned from the child's embrace, and then turned to the older cousin, his eyes tracing her in her new clothing—an aqua t-shirt under a dark blue sweater and a pair of navy royal jeans—and then hesitated on the basket she held in her hands, a large maroon blanket folded and draped over her arm. She followed his eyes, and then spoke what was clearly on his mind.

"**I brought a picnic along, just in case you hadn't eaten anything since this morning**," she told him, and that grin widened on his face. Her heart started pounding viciously in her chest, yet she didn't know why he made her feel like this. He had this kind of power over her that made her feel weak and vulnerable, but in a good sense.

"**That was incredibly sweet of you**," he told her in response, his voice gentle on her ears.

"**Just think of it as repayment for last night**," she winked at him, and that grin broadened. Sophia, who clearly wasn't paying attention, started laughing a little louder, tugging at Christopher's hand and dragging him—not literally—into the park. The man looked back helplessly at the woman, who was beaming at the scene before her. She followed the two of them into the depths of the park, closer to the playground.

Sophia had somehow coerced the man into accompanying her into the sandbox where the swings were, and convinced him to push her on the swings. This left the woman to find the perfect spot near the playground to lie out the blanket and making herself comfortable. She sat down on the blanket in front of a large black wood tree, and watched the two of them interact, Criss pushing Sophia high up on the swings, then quickly pull away to perform a magic trick for some group of little kids. Sophia seemed in her own little world playing and interacting with the other kids on the playground, and even with the illusionist—who was somewhat of a child himself. Alli just felt so perfect, suddenly realizing that, as she watched the children play, she really had entered that Eden she had always dreamed about, that peaceful place that no one could harm her, no one could stop her from obtaining tranquility, and that man…the one she had dreamed about to be her Adam…she suddenly knew all along….

"**Hey**."

She blinked when she realized that the provocateur had pulled away from the children and had at last joined her at the blanket, smiling that same arrogant grin he always portrayed. She beamed at him, feeling the sun cross her face, warming her up—was it even the sun at all?

"**Hey**," it was all she could respond with. Her heart was pounding loud, her breath was caught in her throat, but somehow, physically, she was able to portray herself as calm and stable as much as possible. He sat down beside her on the blanket, tearing his dark eyes away and staring out towards the playground, watching the children happily. For a moment, he just watched Sophia, and then he turned his eyes onto the young woman beside him, smiling eagerly.

"**So, what did you bring me**?" he asked playfully, and for a minute, she had completely forgotten she had brought him a picnic.

"**Oh, yeah**." She opened up the lid to the basket and pulled out a small package wrapped in tinfoil. She handed it to him with an anxious grin on her face. "**I wasn't sure if you would like this or not. I have other things to eat, but everyone seems to like this particular thing I make. I just want you to try it**."

"**What is it**?" he gave her a suspicious look, as if believing she had poisoned his foods when he wasn't looking.

"**I'm not going to tell you. You need to try it first**."

He continued to give her that look, but didn't say anything as he unwrapped the package and revealed it to be a sandwich. Continuing to give the same skeptical look, he took a bite of it, and the look on his face quickly changed. It went from skeptical expression to one of pure surprise and possibly even enjoyment. His eyes were somewhat wide and wondrous, and she wondered what he was thinking about her masterpiece.

"**What is this**?" he spoke through a mouthful of bread.

"**It's a cucumber sandwich. Or more like a cucumber-island-sandwich. Do you like it**?" she asked him curiously, and he seemed to sense her desperation for acceptance. He gave her a strange look, and then replied.

"**Are you expecting me to like it**?"

She gave him that same look back, and then replied in the exact same way.

"**Do you want me to expect you to like it**?"

"**Don't give me that**," he suddenly started shoving the sandwich down like some depraved animal that hadn't eaten in days. She only grinned, realizing that he did, in fact, like it.

As soon as he was done, she handed him a can of fruit juice, and it was around this time Sophia came running over for a drink and a snack. For just a short moment, the three of them sat, ate, and talked among each other. Christopher decided to perform a trick for the child, turning her drink—a box of Hi-C orange juice—into a box of flower petals, which instantly surprised her, and grapping a caterpillar from a fallen tree leaf and turning it into a butterfly in his hand. It was an interesting scene to behold, watching this man perform so comfortably with the little girl, as if he had known her all his life, as if she was his own. Alli actually felt at peace seeing this, and when Sophia left to return to the now open swings, this left the two adults alone to talk. Alli watched the child for a moment, feeling her heart pounding in her ears, but not wildly, not fast, just loud. Her entire body felt as one to nature, she felt like she was a part of the grass, a part of the trees, and a part of the scenery around her. She didn't even realize that the man was actually going through the basket to retrieve another sandwich and that instead he had pulled out a folded up piece of yellow paper.

"**What's this**?"

His playful voice broke through her wandering thoughts, and she blinked to see what he was holding up to her. Suddenly, everything of her Eden vanished when she was staring at something so familiar, she couldn't believe that she was able to recognize it after so many years of not being able to see it. Her heart started pounding in her ears, her body started trembling, and her face turned hot and red at the sight of it.

"**Oh, don't worry about that! Here, let me see**!" she reached for it, but he pulled it out of her reach, giving a narcissistic smile—so attractive was that smile.

"**No, what is it**?" he asked of her.

"**It's—it's nothing! Give it back**!" she pleaded, but he wasn't listening. Instead, he unfolded it, and began reading the words that were written on it. She couldn't believe this was happening! She couldn't believe he had discovered something that had been nonexistent since high school for her!

_**"I feel so cracked, I'm about to shatter**_

_**A thousand pieces fall at your feet**_

_**Sharp shards that have cut me deep**_

_**Why can't you see?**_

_**This is what you've done to me**_

_**I can't breathe, I'm deaf, I'm blind**_

_**Yet I'm screaming for you to save me**_

_**"Help me! Help me!**_

_**Why can't you hear me?!**_

_**I'm broken, you've done this to me!**_

_**I'm tired of the games**_

_**I'm tired of these things**_

_**Either let me go**_

_**Or let me die in your arms tonight**_

_**"I thought you were my angel**_

_**Sweet wings that lift me high**_

_**A soft lullaby that puts me to sleep**_

_**An everlasting dream**_

_**I don't want to wake**_

_**I'm not asleep, I'm not awake**_

_**A never-ending nightmare**_

_**Yet why can't you wake me?**_

_**"Help me! Help me!**_

_**Why can't you hear me?!**_

_**I'm bleeding, I'm crying**_

_**These games have killed me**_

_**And it's because of you **_

_**I'm falling**_

_**So either catch me**_

_**Or I'll die in your arms tonight**_

_**"What happened, my angel?**_

_**Why have you forgotten me?**_

_**I thought you loved me**_

_**I thought you needed me**_

_**But in the end it was I who needed you**_

_**And you were never there…."**_

Criss folded up the paper, the look on his face solid and cold, his dark eyes hidden behind the shadows of his hair that was cast across his face. She couldn't believe he had found that, an old song lyric that she had written in high school when she had the frequent thoughts of suicide running through her mind when she was experiencing her first abusive relationship. She hadn't even thought about that relationship in a long time, but it seemed to set the pattern for her, forcing every relationship from thereon to be nothing but filled with abuse and neglect. She felt so ashamed of herself for having forgotten about something like that, and for allowing it to become known to someone whom she had wanted to keep out of that personal corner of her life. Yet there was nothing she could do now, as he had read the song, and he was sure to know everything after that.

"**Criss**?" she reached over and touched his arm. He shivered under her touch, and then sighed when he realized that she was still there. He looked up, his eyes visible now, but in them was an emotion she thought she had never seen anywhere else except when she was looking in a mirror.

"**When did you write this**?" he asked her softly. She suddenly realized that tears were burning her eyes, and she shook her head, trying to keep herself calm.

"**Back in high school. It was one of the first songs I had ever written**," she confessed to him.

"**Why did you write it**?"

"**What**?" she looked up into those eyes, but every time she did, she found herself regretting ever being there with him, ever allowing herself to become so close to him. He didn't deserve to be drawn into this chaos that was her life.

"**Why did you write it? There's obviously a reason. All the emotion you have in these lyrics, there's so much sadness and despair. What was going on**?" he asked of her again. She didn't feel like answering, but she had to. For him…for this man, she knew she had to.

"**It was…because I was in my first relationship, and the guy turned out to be such a jerk. He wasn't too different from Julian, the man that…well, last night**," she told him enough, though not everything, that was able to inform him of everything else. He gave her a soft look, a look of sweet kindness and gentleness.

"**You mean you've been in abusive relationships before**?" She nodded to his answer, and the tears were streaming down her face.

"**I'm sorry…**."

It all happened too fast, too quickly for the young woman to even realize what was happening. One moment she was sitting up, tears rolling down her pale, bruised cheeks, and the next, she was on her back on the blanket, the basket pushed away from her, her storm gray eyes staring up into the gentle, deep dark eyes that belonged to the illusionist. Her vision was blurred, her body trembling, but she didn't try to push him away. He was on top of her, his hands positioned on both sides of her head, her hands resting on his biceps. For a moment she didn't know what was happening, but then she realized just exactly had happened.

"**Christopher…**."

"**Shh! It's okay**," he spoke to her softly, his face not even an inch from hers, his breath caressing her skin lightly. "**It's okay. It's okay**."

"**But…why…**?"

"**Alli, you keep saying you're '**_**sorry**_**' when you don't need to**," he told her softly again. He leaned his head down a little, his eyes closed, and he brushed his forehead against hers. "**You need an angel, but right now, you already have one**."

Something was bothering her in her mind, words of protest and argument, words of offense, but they seemed to fade away quickly the moment she closed her eyes, and she felt it…the one thing she had dreamt about for so long in her dreams. She felt his lips—_sweet, soft, cool, loving_—caress against hers, it was a brief kiss, not even a kiss at all, but it was enough to tell her everything without saying anything. Her tears rolled down her cheeks, and he came up to kiss them goodbye. He then fell down on top of her, wrapping her in his arms, embracing her in the strength of his wings—_the wings that would fly her so high into the sky, so high she could touch the stars of the heavens_—and she responded, moving her hands to his back, and returning the embrace. The tears continued to fall, but not in pain, not in sorrow, but in happiness, in peace, in love…wishing to be frozen in this tranquil time forever….

_At last…I have found my angel…._

_

* * *

-Liz-sama Comic-_

_Liz: Okay, it took me forever to get this chapter finished, and although I really, really, REALLY don't want to admit it, I have to say...Britney Spears' song, "Everytime" inspired this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it._

_Crys: She really does like Britney Spears! She just doesn't want to admit it!_

_Liz: I do not!_

_Crys: Yeah u do! I have pictures of you:::holds up pictures of Liz (at the age of nine) wearing a Britney Spears' t-shirt::::_

_Liz: GIVE ME THOSE::::chases Crys:::::_

_Alli (O.O): We hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review. Oh, and..._

_**♥♥♥HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!♥♥♥**_

_Crys: p.s. tomorrow, the 15th, is Liz's 17th Birthday..._


	15. Kiss of the Night

Chapter XV: Kiss of the Night 

The night had quickly fallen over the city, turning the sky into a deep pitch black canvass decorated with the faint rhinestones that were the stars, and the half-pearl that hovered brightly in the sky. It was beautiful how the sky was clear, no clouds, and yet the time seemed to fly by too quickly for the three of them as they remained in the park for hours. Before she even realized it, the woman and the man were lying on the blanket—side by side—while the man pointed out constellations of the stars in the sky for the woman, pointing out Orian's Belt, Taurus the Bull beside Orian, showing where the planets of Venus, Mars, and Jupiter were, and as she listened peacefully to his voice, she had suddenly forgotten how long she was originally planning on being there. Her mind was off in a pleasant cloud, floating above them, and having lost herself completely. She couldn't believe that, even though it had been soft and brief, she had actually kissed him. She had actually kissed the man of her dreams, the man that seemed to control, that seemed to own every bit of her, yet she felt so alive and free in his arms, as if flying on the wings of an actual angel. It was strange to explain how she exactly felt, but she felt in a way she had never before felt in her entire life. No man ever made her feel this happy, this free, this…this….

"Hey, what time is it?"

It seemed as if a rope had been tied to her ankle all along, and the moment the man spoke to her, she came crashing down by the pull of the rope, and landing violently back in her own body. She blinked, suddenly feeling nervous and anxious, ashamed and embarrassed that she had lost track of time. She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and stared at the time that it read. 6:18 p.m. They had been there for over three hours! She had told Sam they would be back around four or five! They were an hour late!

"It's late! We have to get back!" she blurted to the man beside her as she got to her feet and darted across the grass to the playground to retrieve the little girl she so lovingly cared for. It had been about thirty minutes since she last saw her, and as she approached the playground she didn't see her.

"Sophia?!"

The woman called for the girl but there was no response. Where did she run off to? Fear was pounding in the woman's heart, having read news reports and stories of children being snatched away by the park! She couldn't let that happen! But where could the little girl be? She wasn't near the swings, the slide, and the monkey bars! The woman hadn't realized it, but she was screaming her head off, yelling out the child's name, while tears filtered through her eyes.

"Sophia!"

She was screaming louder, running past the playground to the trees, calling out the child's name. _Please, God, please!_ She couldn't believe she had lost track of the little girl! All those words that people have told her when she brought the girl into her care kept ringing in her ears, echoing like painful sirens—_oh God, can't think of that right now!_

_"You can't take care of a child, you're still one yourself!" _

_"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this is a huge responsibility!" _

_"If anything happens to that child, you are solely responsible for it!" _

_"How can you take care of her? You can barely take of yourself!" _

_"That child gets hurt, it's your fault!" _

_"…your fault…." _

_"…gets hurt…." _

_"YOUR FAULT!!!" _

_"We have reason to believe that the body we had found is the little girl…." _

"SOPHIA!"

"Alli!"

She hadn't realized it, but she had ran directly into a set of arms wide open to her and she was wrapped within them, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision completely and she was shaking uncontrollably, as if she had been hurt once again. This was even worse, though, it hurt so much worse, it caused every nerve in her body to pierce and sting, her heart pounding in her chest and in her head, and raging thoughts filling her mind, driving her insane, making her worry and scared even more as the possibility of her little cousin, that little girl…her little girl being ripped away from her!

"Sophia!"

"Alli! Alli, what's wrong?!" the man was repeatedly asking her, though her voice was choked by her sobs and tears.

"Sophia! I can't…I can't—find—SOPHIA!"

"Alli! We'll find her, alright?!"

"SOPHIA!"

"Allison?"

Time stood completely still. It was as if the two figures were frozen, paralyzed, when the voice spoke. Tears blurring her rain gray eyes, she looked and saw, standing by a tree, the little girl with the long ebony colored hair and those sparkling emerald green eyes. She was smiling, though the look on her face was a confused and surprised one.

"Sophia?"

"Why are you crying, Allison?" she asked of the woman, whose face broke into a pleased and happy smile. She flung herself towards the child and embraced her, picking her up into her arms and swinging the laughing girl around as she held her, tears streaming down her face.

"Sophia! Sophia! I'm so glad you're alright! Where were you?!" Alli asked the girl, going from pleased, excited, and happy to suspicious and interrogative.

"I had to go potty, Allison! I was about to wet my dress!" Sophia gave a very uncomfortable look having been forced to say that in front of the man, but he only chuckled a little after seeing Alli's reaction to something so small.

After a moment of the woman—who had shown the true mother within her after this incident—calming down and crying a little more, the three of them packed up the picnic and left the park, calling a cab to pick them up. Alli and Christopher got into an argument in the cab, he insisting to walk them to the apartment door just to make sure they would get home safely. Although Alli—being the considerate and sympathetic person that she was—didn't agree, she had no choice. The cab rode up to the front of the apartment complex, and Alli and Sophia got out first, then the man, who accompanied them up the steps to the front door. For a moment, Alli was lost in thought, but then after looking from the man to the little girl, she finally came to a conclusion about something.

"Sophia, why don't you go on inside? I need to talk to Criss about something," she told the little girl, who merely nodded and walked into the apartment, closing the door behind her. This left the two adults alone, and Alli turned from him and faced outward from the concrete banister, staring out into the night sky. She felt at peace all of a sudden, having been given a scare that most women would not be able to handle for an amount of time. She was still edgy, but all that was going through her mind was "_she's alright. She's safe_."

"What's wrong? What are you thinking?" the man's voice came to her softly and sweetly, and he stood beside her, leaning against the banister. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the cool wind caress her body, up her arms, and through her completely. She felt so perfect, so alive, yet at the same time, calm and at peace. He brought her there, he had brought her back to that Eden, that peaceful piece of paradise just for her. She opened her eyes, and looked at him.

"I'm thinking about what happened in the park," she answered him.

"You mean with Sophia? That was taken care of, she's fine," he told her.

"No, no, not that. About…I'm thinking about…what you did," she gently touched her lips, remembering the feel of his against them, the sweetest kiss she ever had. He gave it to her, though was it really a kiss? Did he really mean it? He apparently understood what she meant, as he took her hand from her mouth in his own, and forcefully turned her around to face him, giving her a cocky grin.

"What about what I did?" he asked of her. He looked into her eyes, and she felt everything fall into her, the emotions fear, anxiety, uncertainty, yet there was another emotion there, something strong, something powerful. It was as if a bond had been formed between them through his touch, a strong bond that seemed to mend her heart with his, making her feel everything that he felt, yet…she didn't know what he was feeling.

"Did you…did you really…mean what you did? What you said?" she asked of him. He smiled at her and with his free hand, he stroked the side of her face gently, and it was as if his touch healed all the bruises, all the wounds inside of her. He healed her, giving her a new life. She tilted her eyes away from him, but he wasn't going to let her pull away so easily.

"What makes you think I didn't mean anything?" he asked of her. She couldn't answer that question, as she didn't know herself. For years, she had always been with men that either neglected or abused her, and after so many years of being fooled and used like some sort of tool, it would only come natural that after only a moment of letting down her guard, she would fly it back up, and strengthening it tenfold. He apparently knew what her answer would be either way, so he spoke before her. "Alli, I understand the kind of life you've been through. I can't help you heal the pain or fix anything, I can only be a shoulder for you to cry on. You do have an angel, though, and she's inside that apartment."

So, he wasn't meaning himself. He was referring to the little girl that she clung to so frequently all these years. It was ironic that she would actually believe that he meant himself in the scheme of all things. Even though she wasn't willing to agree with him openly, he was right. Sophia was her little angel. She was the one person in this entire world that kept her alive, that kept her striving for survival. All these years, she knew she couldn't let anything happen to Sophia, that was why she brought her with her when she moved in with Sam, that's why she planned on adopting her later on. Sophia kept her feet on the ground, kept her steady, and kept her alive and sane.

"Criss, did you mean to…" she lowered her eyes, feeling herself grow nervous and unsure if she had misinterpreted the kiss as well. He pulled her close to him, embracing one arm around her waist, while keeping his dark eyes boring into her gray ones.

"I want you to leave that asshole you're with now. I want you to leave him, forget him, and never look back to him. I want you to rid your life of these painful memories of being hurt, of being betrayed. I want you to forget all of them, and try to make a new life for yourself. For you and your angel," he told her sternly, yet his voice was soft and kind. Her eyes looked from his to his lips, and then back. Was he really meaning what he said? Something was bothering her mind.

"And then what? What do you want me to do if I do leave him?" she responded to him. He grinned at her playfully, the same grin he gave her on the stage, the same grin he gave her in the alley, the same grin he gave her at the café…the same one he gave her on the bus.

Everything happened so fast in that one moment. It was too fast for her to even respond. She was shoved up against the banister, her body frozen in his grasp, his hands moving over her quickly, owning her, possessing her, controlling her. She sighed when his hand came up and stroked the side of her face, his other hand on her waist, positioning her just in the center of himself, holding her dominantly. She couldn't react soon enough, she couldn't control herself, as the moment he touched her, the moment he claimed her with his hands, his lips came up and took hers, and in that brief, controversial second, everything in the world spun out of control, spinning into wild and fogged blurs. She couldn't react, she couldn't breathe, but it was as if her body had molded into his, he was breathing for her, living for her, his heart beating for her. She at first felt resistant, words floating through her mind—_boyfriend, love, Julian, hate, pain_—yet she didn't care at once. She was submissive, she was willing to cooperate. She closed her eyes, feeling herself present to him, surrender to his hold, his kiss, his love….

He kissed harder, and she wanted him to. He kissed more passionately, and she wanted him to. He wrapped his arms around her, and she wanted him to. Everything he did she wanted. She wanted him to hold her, she wanted him to kiss her, she wanted him…to love her. _Was this even love?_ She didn't know, all she knew was that she was safe in his arms, she was protected, cared for, and wanted in his arms. He wanted her, but she needed him. She needed the Eden he gave her. In her mind, she was screaming, but she didn't know what she was saying, what the words were. A garbled collage of incoherent sounds that merely drifted away as she slowly returned the kiss, feeling herself fold into him just perfectly, her hands reaching up to feel the dark, warm locks between her fingers, knotting within them in passionate response. In her mind, she was seeing the fairy tales come true, she was seeing the princess fall into her prince's arms, she was seeing a happy ending coming to life, and it was what she wanted. He kissed harder into her, and she returned it, returning the passion, the adoration, the adulation, and it all formed into one. She didn't have to say anything, he knew what was in her mind, and he shared the exact same feelings, the exact same thoughts. They were nothing more than two beings brought together for one purpose—_Adam and Eve, brought forth for a new destiny, for the ultimate plan of salvation and existence_. Yet, like Adam and Eve, these two were not obedient to their "master's" plan, they were not obedient to the original outline of life. At the moment, as he kissed her, as she kissed him, that purpose faded away into oblivion, and it was only the two of them…forever….

When finally the kiss was shattered, she breathed deep of the air she had been deprived of, and she felt the world slowly clear for her, and she was seeing it all differently, it was all perfect, all wonderful. She was seeing the world…through his eyes. He gave her the world, but she didn't want it. She just wanted him.

"Allison, when you leave him…I want you to run to me," he leaned forward, Criss Angel, leaning into her, and his breath comforted her body, bringing her into that peaceful Eden once again. "I want to make sure you are never hurt again, I don't want to see you cry anymore. I want to make sure of that."

"Christopher…" Alli sighed, and she leaned up to brush her lips against his, pleading for another kiss. She had lost herself in him, she had submitted her entire being to him, and all she wanted…all she needed….

"Goodbye."

His hands slipped from hers, his body slipping from her fingers, and she felt as if a piece of her had been ripped from her body. She watched—_like the beautiful maiden seeing off her true love as he went off to the seas, never to be seen again_—him walk away, and as soon as he was out of her sight, she turned around to face beyond the banister, and from there she saw him approach the waiting cab. Just before he got into it, he looked back at her, and he saw her, the same way she saw him, two eyes locked in a powerful bond, and in that bond she felt everything, she knew everything, and only one thing stuck out in that fogged, unclear haze of her mind. Only one thing, one certain, exact thing….

She turned from the banister, and walked towards the apartment door, opening it, and to step into the warmth of the inside rooms that filled it. She felt so comfortable all of a sudden, she felt as if nothing could harm her. A faint, hot red scored across her cheeks, but she hadn't realized it when she looked up to find her best friend standing next to the phone on the lamp stand. She blinked, and she saw the serious look on her friend's face, a look that only brought about a warning of some kind.

"What's wrong, Sam?" Alli asked of the woman, who was shaking her head sorrowfully.

"Your boyfriend called while you were out. He left a message on the answering machine," Sam informed the other woman, and without even thinking, she pressed the button on the machine, and immediately a voice started playing from the tape, a voice that the both of them knew almost inexplicably.

"_Alli! Alli, it's me. It's Julian! I need…I need to talk to you. It's about last night. I know what I did was horrible, and I would understand if you never talk to me ever again. I just…I need to talk to you! I need to hear from you! Please, I can't stand not knowing what happened to you! I don't know who that guy was! He scared the living shit out of me! But he had every right to! If you never want to talk to me, it's fine! I understand! Just…just please…please, just give me a sign you're still alive! Please! I love you, Alli! I love you! I've never felt this way for anyone before! Please! Please, Alli…._"

That was where the recording ended. After hearing the tone of the tape stopping, the entire apartment was frozen. Everything had turned cold, everything had come to a stand still, and the woman…her head was bowed, her eyes closed, her mind elsewhere, but she felt her friend's eyes on her, her friend watching her, waiting for her to say something. In the woman's mind, there were voices raging, words being spoken, faint, hardly audible words, but she could still hear them, as if being spoken at that very moment.

_"I'm sorry, Alli. That wasn't me." _

_"I love you, I wouldn't do that to you. You know I wouldn't." _

_Lies…. _

_"Alli, you're being silly. I'm a nice guy." _

_"I don't know what you're talking about." _

_"I was drunk. I wasn't being myself." _

_All lies…. _

_"Alli, come on. You know I wasn't being real. I was just playing." _

_"Can I show you something?" _

_But…. _

_"I hope you're thinking about me and only me." _

_"Come on, baby, I know you want it. I've been dying to have you for so long. Why don't we get it over with and done right here and now?" _

_"Bitch, don't you dare pull away from me! I'll smack you so hard that pretty little brain of yours will go splatter against the walls!" _

_Why…. _

_"Just relax, it's okay….I need you to trust me, okay?" _

_"I wanted to make up for what I did the other day. It was wrong, and I'm sorry." _

_Two of them…. _

_"You're a filthy, disgusting liar! Tell me! Tell me now! Who were you with, you stupid whore?!" _

_"Okay, Alli, seeing as how you don't know how to dance, I'm going to teach you." _

_"Oh, well, whatever you do, I hope it makes you happy." _

_"Well, I know you won't forgive me for what I did to you, and I'm not asking you to, Alli. What I did was so horrible, I don't even forgive myself for it." _

_I can't… _

_"Don't lie to me. Don't you dare fucking lie to me! Who was he? Who was the bastard that you're cheating on me with?!" _

_"Don't fall asleep! Alli, please, look at me! Don't fall asleep!" _

_There's only one I need…. _

_"You are never a burden. Never to me. I care about you." _

_"I don't want you to feel alone, so I'm going to stay here with you until you fall asleep, and I'll be here when you wake up in the morning." _

_"…I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I told you I was going to be here until you woke up/" _

_"Alli, you keep saying you're 'sorry' when you don't need to….You need an angel, but right now, you already have one."_

"Alli?"

The woman opened her eyes and turned to face her friend, the answer, the solution to everything ringing in her head, shining in her gray eyes. She finally knew what she had to do, and it was at last clear to her. She could at last do the very thing she had been wanting to do for so long, but never able to.

"What are you thinking, Alli?" Sam asked of her. Alli met her friend's eyes, and she smiled, a smile that was never there before, a smile that was both nerve-racking, and warmth-filling.

"I'm thinking…I know what I need to do."

With that, the woman approached the phone to dial a certain number, and it was in that one decision alone, in this one action, it was going to either throw her life into the peace and happiness it finally deserved, or into the chaos and anguish it had been yet experienced….

* * *

_-Liz Comic-_

_Liz: Alright, well, I think that was a good chapter. I worked hard on it, despite being gone for two days._

_Crys: I've seen you get done more in less time. Admit it, you were just lazy._

_Liz: Can you blame me? My birthday was Friday._

_Crys: So? I've seen you get done three chapters in one day--and it was on your birthday!_

_Liz: When was that?_

_Crys: A while ago. It was for that one story you did...that one that no one read._

_Liz: Oh that's why. I didn't care about if the story was good or not. I just wanted to get it done._

_Crys: So you don't really care about some of your stories?_

_Liz: Don't say it like that. If no one reads my story, then I really won't care about it._

_Crys: What about my story?! You were working on that one for months, yet you stopped working on it because NO ONE WAS READING IT!!!!!_

_Liz: Well that's different..._

_Crys: How???::::gives a dark glare:::::_

_Liz: Well..._

_Crys: Admit it! You only care about this one cuz u've got Criss Angel in it!_

_Liz: No, I won't!_

_Crys: Ha! You just said you won't admit it. That means that it is true, because you won't admit it, proving that you have that very thing to admit._

_Liz: What?! Don't go all psychiatrist on me!!!!_

_Crys: I can't help it::::points to a certificate in psychiatry:::::_

_Liz: That means nothing::::knocks it down when Crys isn't looking:::::_

_Crys: Did you just knock that down?_

_Liz: No._

_Crys: You just wrote that you did._

_Liz: No I didn't._

_Crys:::::points to the computer screen:::::_

_Liz: Oh, that doesn't mean anything._

_Crys: I'm going to kill you._

_Liz: Let's see if you can catch me, first!:::::runs off as Crys chases her:::::_

_Rika (O.O): Liz would like to thank MissAnonymous, mrazfreak, PyroXxXManiac, and Tempting.Seductress for wishing her a happy birthday. She would also like to request that you would review this chapter and tell her what you think. She also would like some ideas for a title for the next chapter. Thank you so much!_


	16. Goodbye

Chapter XVI: Goodbye 

It was almost a saddening, depressing day following that night. Everything about the world seemed to have darkened, the sky was a canvas of dark gray clouds that seemed to bring the omniscient knowledge of approaching rain. The city was a dark hole in the world, the population seeming to become nothing more than faceless blurs, faceless shadows, and she was one of them. It looked so much like the first day she had met him, the man whom she had become incredibly close to, the man who seemed to own her, control her, but all in free willed passion. It was so much similar to the day she had met him on the bus, and it was that day that set the entire world into motion for her, and although her life has not been simple since that day, she had found a piece of Eden within that man, and has become addicted to that bit of paradise that has been supplied to her. All the while, though, her heart had belonged to another, a man of no remorse, of no mercy, of no pity. This man could easily care less for her than he could about the land he walked on. Yet, her loyalty had bound her to him, and she hated this fact. She brought herself into that world that this man gave her, and now she was searching for an escape out of it. She had to make a choice, but the choice wasn't anywhere near easy.

Heaven's Park. It was her favorite place in the entire city, though it wasn't a park as the name gave it to be. It was the center square of the city, monument and symbolized by the large fountain of two angels perched upon a pillar, staring down at the people passing by, playful creatures of joy and happiness, seeking the thrill of a childish and innocent game of hide-and-seek between themselves on the onlookers upon them. It was a sweet image to behold, as the angels clamored on the pillar, streams of water poured from the tips of their wings and into the large pool beneath the pillar. It was lovely, as was the stones that crafted the statue, as was the trees that surrounded it, as was the beauty that graced this area. Yet, today, that beauty had disappeared. That grace had faded, and the storm-gray skies seemed to only match the darkness and gloom within the woman's own rain gray eyes. Even though a place like this—the place she had her first kiss, the place where she and her little girl would always come, the place her father used to bring her before he passed on—would bring bliss and delight to the woman, not today. Today was not a pleasing day. Today was not a cheerful day. It certainly was going to be a memorable one. It was going to be a day that neither she nor anyone else around her would ever forget.

It was last night, a night that was fitful and restless, that she had made a decision, a decision that would affect the rest of her life, and even now, as she stood by the fountain, prepared to go through with it, she was second-guessing herself, voices raging in her mind, doubting her or encouraging her. This was something she had been thinking about all night—next to that amazingly passionate and lustful kiss that the man shared with her just outside her apartment door. She had called someone just before she went to bed, making the life-changing decision right there and then, but she didn't know whether to call one man, or the other. She just seemed to be controlled by something when she dialed the number, and the being spoke through her on the phone, and then, without another word, she went straight to bed, but it was a futile attempt at trying to relax and clear her mind, as she was doing nothing but tossing and turning, trying to think logically if she was making the right decision on this. She had to think of her little girl, she had to think of that child's safety, she had to think of her own safety, and her own sanity. She knew if this game continued, the two of them would be lost forever.

"Hey! Hey, beautiful!"

She was at once brought out of her thoughts, and brought back into reality when she heard a familiar voice call to her, a voice that had haunted her dreams and followed her in the deepest pits of her mind, controlling her, manipulating her. She couldn't have that with her all her life. She needed to get rid of it. And there was only one way of doing that. She saw the man approach her, the man that seemed to always be there—_the dreaded serpent that had tempted her and tricked her many times before_. Finally, she was making the decision to pull away from him…to move forward, and leave him far behind.

The man that came was the same man in her nightmares, the same man with the dark skin, the dark hair, the dark—threatening, warning, deadly—eyes. At the sight of this man, whether in her subconscious mind or in reality, her heart would pound and throb painfully in her chest, and even threaten her of a life-threatening heart attack. But not this time. As she looked at this man, as she stared at him, she felt her heart race, but not in fear, not in suffering. If anything, she was nervous. She wasn't afraid…not anymore….

"Julian! Thanks for coming!" she smiled at the man, trying to seem calm, trying to maintain her composure, but under all the stress and nerves, she was breaking—slowly cracking under the pressure of her decision.

"Yeah, no problem. I wanted to see you, anyway," the man grinned at her, but she knew, she had always known, that under that grin was the real monster inside him, the grin was nothing more than a mask to hide the true being within. She was so used to wearing a mask herself, but pieces of it had fallen, and now the mask was coming down, as was her guard.

_"…I want to see…." _

She shook her head, trying to keep the other one's voice out of her head for the time being. If everything goes well and exactly according to plan, she would go to him later, she would hear his voice later.

"There's something I want to talk to you about," the words seemed to flow out of her mouth naturally, though they were forbidden words, words that were never meant to be expelled from between her lips. She shuddered a little at how strange the sensation of the words left on her, but she had to restrict these feelings and allow herself to get control of the situation. It would be the first time in her life that she had control over anything.

"Alli, baby, I missed you so much!" It was as if he hadn't heard a word she had said, and he approached her at a quick pace, but she stepped back away from him, trying to maintain the same distance between the two of them as possible. Another reason she had asked the man to meet her here is because out of any other place in the city, besides the banks and monumental buildings, Heaven's Park was the most secured and guarded place in the city, as police cars were always parked on the roads surrounding it, and already, during the fifteen minutes she had been here, she had seen three authority figures passing by. If anything were to happen, she would scream and yell for help, and there would be no way of getting hurt by this man—wish she had thought of this plan before.

"Julian, we really need to talk!" she declared to him, trying to maintain eye contact with him, while every thirty seconds she would look out of the corner of her eye to make sure there was at least one police officer around. He paid no attention to her body language, her tone of voice, or the serious look on her face, as he tried to step forward to her, but once again, she backed up—into the base of the fountain. Some might say this was her being cornered, but as a child, she had walked along the base and platform of said fountain, so much so she had learned to balance herself on it and even possibly run across it in order to get away from something—or someone. It was the only thing in this entire world that she could somehow balance herself on.

"_What's wrong?_"

She saw his lips move, reading them clearly, and at last, he was understanding that she had not called him here for a romantic date for the two of them. She meant business, and she wasn't going to leave until she had finished what she had started—no matter what happens. She was going to say the words she had been dying to say for so long.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Julian asked of her, trying to sound sweet, kind, and gentle. His tricks were not going to work. Not this time.

"Many things, Julian. I'm tired of pretending everything is alright. I'm tired of pretending to everyone. I'm even tired of pretending to myself," she started off, trying to find the very words that would strike him and hurt him just as much as he had hurt her. He looked at her, confused, but he gave a glare that meant he was going to try and manipulate the situation into his own.

"What are you talking about?" he asked of her in that same false tone, the same sickening sweet tone that only made him nothing but disgusting.

"I'm talking about me, you—us! I'm tired of everything! You really don't care about me! You never had! I had to take care of myself—and even then I failed! I'm tired of putting my life on the line just to be with you—and Sophia's! I'm scared of having you come over and letting Sophia see what you're doing to me! She's already seen it once! I can't let it happen again!"

"Alli, you're freaking out! What are you saying? You're not making sense," Julian tried to control her, he tried to influence her, but not this time! He wasn't going to hurt her anymore!

"No, everything else doesn't make sense! I'm sick and tired of getting hurt one day, and then have you tell me lies the next day! You're never sorry! Sorry means not doing it ever again! But you keep doing it!"

"Bitch, you're on something! I think I need to get you some help!"

"No, Julian! _You_ need the help! _You're_ the one that's wrong! I'm moving on with my life, I'm going to make things right for my little cousin, and for myself! Unfortunately, this plan for my life that I have…it doesn't include you!"

There it was! The very words that she needed to say, because the moment she said it, the sadistic grin, the cocky smile, the arrogant glare, it all shattered into a million pieces, and at last she was seeing him, she was seeing her boyfriend—her now ex-boyfriend—for what he really was. A monster. He was nothing more than a monster. She didn't know where this courage of hers came from, but she was at last able to stand up to him, and by standing up to him, she was standing up to all of them. These words that she spoke were the very words that needed to be heard by all the men she had been with, all the men that have hurt her, that have abused her, that have degraded her. They all needed to hear it, and by saying these words, she was letting it go. She was letting it all go…and she was at last free of the bond they had over her. The chains were broken, the shackles were unlocked, and she was at last free….

"Allison, what the fuck are you saying?!" Julian's voice was trembling, it was breaking. He—like so many others before him—would not expect her to actually break up with him, he did not expect her to suddenly find this strength within.

"I'm saying…I'm leaving you, Julian! I don't want you around me anymore! I want you to leave me alone, and if you come to my apartment, if you follow me, if I see any of your friends around me, I will call the police, and I'll have your ass in prison!" she threatened him. The anger that erupted in his face was monstrous, and in a flashing second, he had sprinted to where she was, and firmly grabbed her arm. His grip squeezed her bicep, and she cried out in pain as flares erupted from her healing contusions. She looked the man in the eye—the cold, murderous eyes—and she saw within them anger, hate, rage, and the demonic emotions that no human could possess.

"YOU STUPID FUCKING WHORE! I'M GOING TO KILL—"

"Is everything alright here?"

Time stood still, and it was in fact the most nerve-racking moment in the woman's entire life. She felt as if comfort had swept over her, warmth, shelter, and the moment that she felt these feelings, that she heard that familiar voice, she looked to find herself staring straight into the familiar eyes of a man whose face was kind and strengthening. No, not the man that she had dreamt about, but another…his brother. Costa Sarantakos stood over them, and his eyes—_the same dark eyes as his younger brother's_ (_A/N_)—were watching the scene of them two.

"Yes, everything's _fine_ here, man," Julian quickly lied to him, but he gave Alli a dark, murderous glare, threatening her to agree with him, and he backed up his threat by squeezing her arm painfully. She let out a whimper, but maintained her serious composure and turned to the brother of the man she adored.

"Actually, could you help me?" she asked of him, and he at once understood what she meant, what she was trying to say. From the event that happened at the night club two nights ago, he finally knew who this opposite man was threatening her. Instead of getting involved, he made eye contact with a passing-by officer, and signaled the officer over. Julian witnessed to this, and he released Alli's arm—a new bruise was starting to form over the yellow mesh of her skin.

"Is everythin' alright over here, lassie?" The officer spoke with a thick Irish accent, but in his pale face was a look of security and protection, a look that many officers should possess nowadays. She looked from her former boyfriend to Costa, and then back to the officer.

"No, officer. Could you walk me back to the streets? I think I would like to call a cab and get home," she told the authority figure, who grinned happily in helping her.

"Of course," the officer then spoke to the radio clipped on his shoulder, and then gestured for the woman to follow him. Costa, though, grabbed her shoulder, and spoke to the bigger Irish man.

"If it is alright, I would like to come with her," he spoke.

"Is that alright with you, lassie?" the officer asked of Alli, who nodded without even thinking. She knew she could trust Costa, as she could just as easily trust his brother, Christopher. As the three of them walked away, Julian called out to her, yelling at her.

"Alli! Alli, you can't just leave me! You're my girl! You love me!" he yelled back at her, and she stopped for a second, trying to think of some way to stop this madness. Costa looked at her, and he saw in her eyes the very answer to what he was about to ask. She turned back to her ex-boyfriend, standing by the fountain, a look in his eyes that was clearly deranged, and she could only say one thing.

"Goodbye."

With that she turned and walked side-by-side of her friend as they followed the officer towards the streets. In her mind, everything was calm and peaceful. _It's over. It's finally over. I'm free_. Freedom was so breathtaking, so relaxing, she couldn't help but close her eyes and take advantage of the softness of the wind on her face, the cool air of the day. It wasn't a cheerful day, it wasn't a saddening day, but it was a day she would never forget, as it was the start of a whole new life for her, for her child…and possibly for her new boyfriend….

* * *

"So, are you going to go back to your apartment now?" Costa had openly asked of her when the two of them were inside of the cab, driving off to who knows where. Alli was so lost in her thoughts she couldn't think straight, she was just enjoying this moment of freedom, realizing how much different she felt now than she had many times before. 

"I don't know. I promised someone I would see them as soon after I had done this. I think I need to see them before I go back home," she told the man simply, trying to conceal the fact that the person she wanted to see, more than anything, was his own brother.

"Well, alright. Do you want me to come with you?" he asked her, offering her protection. She gave him a look—a simple, defining look—that told him everything that he needed to know. He smiled. "It's Criss, isn't it?"

She nodded. It felt so amazing to finally speak of him and not feel guilty or ashamed. She was free at last to be with him, to follow him. She would follow him to the ends of the earth if she had to.

"I was wondering why he was acting weird last night."

"What do you mean?" she was curious all of a sudden as to the man's words. He beamed at her slyly, the same cocky grin that his brother would always give her. Yet, his was so much more different from Christopher's.

"When Criss came back to the hotel, he was acting distant and off in his own little world. Plus, he was muttering to himself. I didn't quite catch what he was saying, but I kind of figured it had something to do with you, as he was saying '_she_' and '_her_' a lot," Costa admitted.

"How do you know he was talking about me? He could've been talking about someone else. For all I know, he could've been talking about his ex-wife," Alli pointed out, and Costa chuckled a little at her words.

"I doubt he was talking about JoAnn. He hasn't talked about her in a while. Plus, what other woman could he have possibly been with all yesterday?" he remarked back to her, and her face flowed red at the realization that not only was she with him the night before, but in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. She really put herself out there, provoking or taunting any possible relationship when all she was trying to do was create a mutual friend status with him. But then again, a mutual friend wouldn't wear his jacket, a mutual friend wouldn't sleep in the same bed as him, a mutual friend wouldn't get so romantically cozy with him in the park, and a mutual friend wouldn't share such a powerful, impious kiss with him. At this point, she had blazed past the "_mutual friend_" status, and was working her way quickly to "_lover_."

As the cab drove off towards the hotel that the Sarantakos and Angel crew were staying at, she felt her heart abruptly start to pound into her head and vibrate through her body. She was nervous, her body trembling, and she wanted so bad to turn the cab around and head towards her apartment.

"_Allison, when you leave him…I want you to run to me…_."

His voice was ringing in her ears, and it continued to do so as she clamored out of the cab and onto the curb in front of the hotel. The hotel wasn't as glamorous as it had been two nights before. The night made it look so beautiful, whereas during the day, it looked like a simple, ordinary building, no different from the rest. It was strange how the night made everything look different, during the day made everything look plain and ordinary. Was that how she looked during the day? Wasn't she any different from everyone else? So…why was this man, this illusionist, this mystifying, talented, strong, and charming man so interested in her?

"Are you alright?" she blinked and saw Costa standing in front of the entrance door. She nodded, and walked with him into the hotel lobby. She felt the warm lights stream over her, the colorful displays of paintings and portraits on the sand-colored walls fade into blurs, the tempting sofas and scarlet furniture suddenly blending in to their surroundings, and she felt her body pull her towards the hallway where the elevators were. Costa was quicker than she was, and before she stood by him, the elevator doors swung open, and he stepped in—she practically tripped over her own feet trying to get inside the chamber—and the doors closed quickly behind her. The chamber moved upwards with the two of them in it, and she giggled a little from excitement. Apparently, he could see that she was.

"Do you want to surprise him?"

It was an idea that lingered on her mind, and she grinned cunningly, the idea forming thickly in her mind. Her smile gave it away, and then she told him about the idea she had while they had time in the elevator. It would be good payback for the trick Criss pulled on their mother earlier. Costa seemed to enjoy this sneaky idea, and the moment the elevator stopped, the plan was put into action. The elevator doors opened, and the two of them stepped out from the chamber, and walked quickly towards the appropriate doors in the hall. Costa gestured Alli to hide behind a pillar in the wall just around the corner, far enough to not be seen, but close enough to hear everything in the room. She couldn't stop smiling from excitement, but she had to keep quiet, or else the trick wouldn't work. She watched as Costa approach the door, and he opened it up, giving himself the perfect mask of grief and sorrow, and then he walked straight into the room, yelling out to the people inside with mourning in his tone. He was actually quite believable.

"Criss! Christopher! It's—it's—"

"Costa, what's wrong?!" Christopher's voice came out in distraught and stressed tones, and it was actually breaking Alli's heart a little by hearing it.

"Christopher, Alli—Alli—"

"Costa! Costa, what's wrong?! What about Alli?!" Alli could hear JD freaking out, as well, but she was more curious about the look, the expression, on one particular man's face.

"Christopher! CHRISTOPHER! ALLI—ALLI IS—"

Costa broke out in sobs—fake sobs—as he tried to pull the prank off without fault.

"Costa! COSTA!" Dimitra was screaming her lungs out, trying to get her son to spill whatever it was he was trying to say.

"CHRISTOPHER! ALLI IS DEAD!"

"WHAT?!" There were more than just one voice speaking at that moment, but none of them matched Criss'. Alli stood at the pillar listening closely, but it was a lot harder than reading someone's lips. She tried to crane her neck to see into the hotel room or at least hear a little better, but she couldn't hear any sound that belonged to the provocateur.

"I'm sorry, Christopher. I'm so…so sorry…."

"Alli…" there was his voice, but there was grief in it, sorrow, mourning, emotions that she had never heard a man express before for her. "She's dead?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Christopher! I went to the apartment and—there was Sam, and—the police were there—and I got there just as—just as they were taking her away! He killed her, Criss! That fucker killed her!"

There was a sound that escaped from the apartment. It was inhuman, loud, raging, and angry. It was like a roar of some kind to come from a beast. Alli actually recoiled when she heard it, and something in the pit of her stomach told her that it had came from Christopher.

"Criss! CRISS! CALM DOWN!"

"SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S DEAD! THAT MOTHER FUCKER KILLED HER! SHE'S DEAD!"

"CHRISTOPHER!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T BELIEVE IT! SHE'S DEAD!"

"CHRISTOPHER! STOP IT!"

"NO! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! I…I—"

It was the perfect moment to come in and put all the misery and chaos to rest. She hadn't realized that the man would lose control of himself so much. She hadn't predicted that he would react this way. They had only known each other for a short amount of time, yet he was reacting as if they had been childhood friends. She darted from behind the pillar and raced into the open hotel room. She didn't even have to think, she just felt and acted on her thoughts and instincts. She felt that she had to do this, she had to show him that she was alive, she was free, and she wasn't afraid anymore. She didn't even met his eyes when she raced through the living room and flew into his arms, immediately flung her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his, gentle, soft, but it was enough to silence his words, and show him that not only was she alive, she was free at last. It was a brief kiss, but it was enough to fill the room with gasps, and she didn't even see the stunned, surprised look on his face when she pulled away and whispered softly to him.

"Don't worry, Criss. I'm here...at last..."

* * *

_-Liz Comic- _

_Liz: Okay, I put an (A/n) next to a text in this chapter because I'm not entirely sure if what I had put was true. Okay, in the case of the Sarantakos family, which of the three brothers is the oldest, and which is the youngest? That is something I've been wondering about since I started this story, and I really don't want to claim something about Criss Angel that is false--besides everything else that I've put in here._

_Crys: She's too lazy to do her research._

_Liz: No, I'm serious. I got two Mindfreak DVD sets for my birthday, and nothing in there said anything about which brother was the oldest, youngest, or middle child. For a while I've been thinking Christopher was the youngest and Costa was the oldest, leaving JD to be the middle child. I would love it if someone could correct me about that, that way I can go and fix my story._

_Crys: Didn't it say that on the website you looked at and use as reference for the story?_

_Liz: No, Wikipedia doesn't say anything about it. It just says JD and Costa are his brothers._

_Crys: Didn't it also say something about his wife???_

_Liz: Yeah, but I really don't care about her. (Just kidding, JoAnn, if you're reading this. I'm a basic fangirl, so I am jealous of you a bit. At least I'm willing to admit it.)_

_Crys: Maybe you should go back and watch your DVDs again._

_Liz: Do you know how long it took me to watch them the first time?!?! I spent all yesterday in my room, and I stayed up all night, too! I still haven't finished watching them!_

_Crys: Then that's why you don't know which brother is oldest or youngest._

_Liz: No, I don't, but I've seen those episodes before, and they don't mention it in them. Those of you who are reading this, if you could help me out, I'd very much appreciate it!_

_Crys: She would also request that you would review this chapter and give your opinion on it. Me, personally, thought it was sweet at the beginning but then corny at the end. That wasn't even funny, and it made no sense._

_Liz: Yeah, well, I could care less about what you think. I care more about what THEY think._

_Crys: Who is "THEY"?_

_Liz: THEM! My readers! The people who actually keep me motivated by reading and reviewing this story! People like Tempting.Seductress and mrazfreak! People like Miss Anonymous and everyone else who reads and reviews my story, (you know who you are, I'm just too lazy to write down more names, but I want to thank all of you, even those who will remain anonymous)._

_Crys: What would happen if they all stopped reading and reviewing this story? What would you do?_

_Liz: I'd die. Honestly, I don't think it's worth working on something that no one gives a shit about. I mean, why should I care about something I wrote if no one wants to read it. It's the same thing if I have something to say and no one hears me._

_Crys::::la la la la:::: I'm sorry, did you say something?_

_Liz: I swear to God, you are like Lucifer from Hell!_

_Crys::::in demonic voice:::::: What gives you that impression?_

_Liz: O.O O.O :::::gulp, holds up crucifix for protection:::::::_


	17. Only On Angel's Wings

Chapter XVII: Only On Angel's Wings 

"Don't worry, Criss. I'm here…at last…."

Time was paralyzed at once, no one dared breathed, no one dared to speak, as the woman that they had all been told just now was dead was standing in the middle of the living room of the hotel suite they were staying in, her arms wrapped around Christopher's neck as she had quickly ran up to him from out of nowhere and planted a kiss upon his lips, not only showing that everything Costa had said was a lie, but that she had become romantically involved with the illusionist. Everyone was frozen in their spot, no one more so than the man who the woman was clung to. She looked into his face, and saw tears were running down from his dark eyes. Her heart broke at the sight of them, but she thought she'd play with this fact.

"What's wrong, Christopher? Why are you crying?" she asked of him, pulling away quickly. He shoved her off of him, and he turned around, but before he did, she read what he was saying on his lips.

"_I hate you_."

She knew he didn't mean it, he was just upset with her. She had to pull the prank on him, it was just so tempting, and it was payback for tricking his mother like that. Now he knew what it felt like, but then again, Criss was like a child. All is fun and games, until he gets a taste of his own medicine. She looked around the room, and she realized everyone—besides her partner in crime, Costa—had on their faces looks of distraught and stress, surprise and mourn. Did they really care about her so much that they would be saddened instantly at the mention of her death? Some of these people she didn't even know, yet the looks in their eyes seemed as if they had known her for a long time.

"Alli, how could you pull a trick like this?!" Dimitra snapped at the younger woman, and Alli blushed out of shame.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I also thought Christopher deserved a taste of his own medicine after that prank he pulled on_ you_ yesterday," Alli tried to give herself an excuse, although a prank of dying was a lot worse than a prank of marrying. She looked to Christopher, who was trembling a little, but he didn't look at her. Had she really upset him that much?

"Criss, I'm sorry. I have good news, though," she thought this might cheer him up, especially after that kiss that the two of them shared last night.

_"…Allison, when you leave him…I want you to run to me…." _

His head tilted upward, as if interested in what she had to say. At least he was giving her some form of acknowledgement. She beamed happily, and approached him, coming up to only two inches from behind him, and she muttered to him softly.

"I left him, Christopher…" a faint blush crossed her face, but her smile was sweet, innocent, and it showed the freedom that a bird so lusted after for. "I left him. You told me that if I did, I should come running to you. That's what I did. I'm not with him anymore."

Tears were actually forming in her eyes. Was this a dream? Was it all unreal? She felt as if everything around her wasn't real, that any moment she would wake up, and she would be back in that world that caused her much pain and agony. No…no, she never wanted to leave here. She actually felt like more of her was falling into that peaceful Eden of hers, and this man—this great illusionist—had provided it to her.

"It's because of you. It's because of you that I was able to leave him. You encouraged me, you helped me, and now—"

"You never needed me."

The man turned on the spot to face her, and the smile on his face was different, it was unique, but she couldn't make clear the emotion within it. What was going through his mind? She decided not to question it. So long as he was looking at her, so long as he was talking to her, smiling at her, she didn't care what went through his mind, all she knew was that he was not upset with her.

"So, what's going on here? Are you mad at her, or are you forgiving her?" a man with an unfamiliar face spoke out, and Christopher merely grinned, and then spoke the answer that she knew was on his mind.

"Nah, I'm not mad at her. I'll just have to come up with something better for her next time," he winked at her, and she beamed happily back. The tears rolled down from her eyes, and he leaned down to wipe them away with the thumbs of his hand, cupping her chin in his palms.

"You're such a sneaky bitch."

She heard his words, but she read his lips closely, and she knew through those words, he really meant something else. She wanted to keep what he meant to herself, and so she pulled out of his clasp, but was immediately thrown into the hands of the forming crowd around her, people all but Dimitra and her sons, questioning her and pleading to know who she was, where she came from, how she knew Christopher, what her relationship was with him—she blushed at this question—and so on. Through the crowd she looked to see the man taking pleasure in the chaotic stress she was suffering by coming to the apartment in that form of manner, and it was like her own father staring back at her, grinning as she was forced to learn a valuable lesson—never pull a trick like that on the very man who loved to pull tricks on others, or "_don't trick a trickster_" for simpler terms.

When introductions were finally over, the young woman was pulled towards the couch by someone, and she suddenly found herself sitting by the illusionist, his arm around her shoulder. She was blushing a little, but she felt herself to be safe and comforting in his hold. It was the exact same way she felt the night before when he kissed her.

"Okay, so are you Criss' new girl or something?" asked a young man that was probably no more than a few years older than Alli, but he seemed to be the youngest out of anyone there in the room.

"You could say it like that," Criss answered him slyly. She knew he was only saying this to make her uncomfortable and blush uncontrollably—well, it worked.

"How long have the two of you been dating?" asked a much older man who worked the cameras for the television show of Christopher's.

"Um…we really haven't been dating," Alli spoke before Criss could say anything. He looked at her, giving her a strange look, but then he grinned cunningly.

"She's kind of been with someone else."

"So you stole her from them?"

"What? No, no, I didn't."

"I broke up with him just earlier today. Costa was there," Alli quickly explained herself. The group turned towards the older brother, who was merely grinning the same cocky grin that all Sarantakos brothers seemed to have. "I broke up with him because it just…it was too much stress. I couldn't deal with it."

"Costa was tricking us, saying that someone killed you. That person that he was referring to…was it your boyfriend?" Dimitra was asking, and immediately, Alli's heart started pounding in her head, echoing, throbbing, and it was aggravating her completely. She knew she had just broken up with Julian, but thinking about him—talking about what he did to her—was still something that she couldn't deal with. She kept feeling the burn of those bonds on her body, she kept feeling the pain and agony that he left on her, and sharing it with those who didn't learn about it on their own would only leave for her to be judged or looked at in the very manner she didn't want to be put under. Apparently, Criss and Costa both saw this in her face, and Costa was quick to answer.

"It was just a trick. It was something I had to make up right away the moment I got here. I didn't mean anything by it," he answered his mother for her, and Alli cast him a grateful look when no one was noticing. People continued to ask questions, but the young woman started to either ignore them or mindlessly answer them in a helpless way, until at last she wanted to leave the suite more than anything, and go back to the apartment to inform Sam about the amazing news. The man sitting beside her obviously could read her like an open book, because the next thing to come from his mouth was something that left her entire world spinning in crazy directions, but in a pleasurable way. He kept her world spinning, and it was that thrill that kept her wishing and praying for more.

"Could you excuse us for a minute? I need to talk to Alli for a moment—in private," he quickly added when the youngest of the persons standing in the room opened his mouth to speak, and as soon as he took her hand, without even dragging her, he had her on her feet, and the two of them were maneuvering through the living room and out of the suite through the open door, closing it behind them. As if she had stepped from within a torture chamber of darkness and smoke, the air of the hallway filled her lungs, like the first breath of a newborn infant. She smiled, but she wasn't out of his grip just yet.

Before she realized it, he was dragging her—more like running with her—through the hallway, past and through many corners, while her face—a flushing canvas of red and white—watched him with storm gray eyes of wonder and curiosity.

"Christopher, where are you taking me?" she asked of him. He only looked back at her, smiling, but it was a sweet smile.

"You'll see."

He was still grinning even when he pulled her completely through the entire corridor and towards a door that read "_EMPLOYEES ONLY_." Despite the argument raging in her head, with her hand still clasped within his, he flung the door open, and the two of them ran up the steps—three flights of steps—until they came to another door that read the same thing. He flew the door open, and then he paused, watching her, staring at her. She looked from him to the open door, and then her heart just fluttered at hearing him speak to her.

"Ladies first."

She stepped over the threshold, and her entire body felt dizzy, her head spinning, when she realized they were standing on the roof of the hotel, overlooking the entire city. She felt so lightheaded, her body feeling weak and limp under her weight. She had never been so high on a building, and she was just thankful the roof was surrounded by a thick railing and screen that was close to five and a half feet high. This would prevent people from falling, whereas jumpers—that was another story. The young woman—consumed with surprise—stared out into the city she had come to know, and the fresh air filled her lungs, the gray skies surrounding her—small droplets of rain fell on her head, and she sighed when she felt, for the first time, that it was safe to step outside and know there were no eyes on her, know that no one was watching her, following her, stalking her, waiting for her to screw up and find a perfect excuse to harm her later.

"Criss—"

She turned to see him, but before she did, she felt him come up from behind her, and her entire head flowed red, the blood boiling and rising towards her forehead, when she felt him wrap his arms around her waist, bringing himself directly behind her. No man had ever held her like this, no man had ever been this close—at least not without an alternate motive to force her down and take whatever bit of innocence she had left. She felt the warmth of his body fall over her, she felt his heartbeat, she heard it all around her, and in her mind, she was trying hard to will herself to not be so embarrassed, to not be so shy, but she was! Her heart was racing, her breathing was tightening in her lungs, and she closed her eyes tight, trying to relax herself and calm herself down. This wasn't working, obviously.

"I found this place last night when I got back. I couldn't stay in the suite—I had to find some place to clear my head. And this is what I found," he admitted to her in her ear, and, if it was even possible, her face turned even redder and hotter. She knew that any moment now, he would hear her pounding heart—the same way he heard it during his magic show.

He tighten his hold around her waist, and she whimpered a little, preparing herself for the possible action to come, the possible words she would hear, the very words every man had spoken to her when they held her like this.

_"You're so pretty. I love you so much." _

_"You really are a wonderful girlfriend, Alli." _

_"Alli, I want you so much. Please, let me have you." _

_"Let me take you, Alli." _

_"You've never felt anything until you've felt me inside you." _

_"I've been thinking about you all day. Have you been thinking about me?" _

"Criss!"

She pulled out of his hold, ripping her waist out of his grip, and she even stumbled a little stepping away from him. Tears were burning her eyes, her body trembling, and when she turned to face him, those tears only grew when she saw the surprised and confused look on his face.

"What's wrong?" he took one step towards her, but she stepped back. Her body language said everything: fear, anger, confused, scared, she was on the defense. She was seeing him the same way she had seen all other men before him, all her other boyfriends.

"Please…I can't do this!" she was whimpering lightly, and the tears were streaming down her face again. He looked in her eyes, and those sad, swimming pools of gray storm water told him everything.

"Alli, it's okay. I wasn't trying to do anything, I just wanted to show you this place. I thought it would take your mind off of everything and help you relax. But if it's something else…if it's me…."

"No, no, it's not you. It's just…I think I'm moving way too fast. I mean, I just broke up with Julian no more than a couple of hours ago, and…I just…" Alli was choked by her own tears, choked and suffocated by her sorrow. She was blurred by her own tears to even see him walk towards her, to see the sympathetic gaze in his eyes. She didn't even know he was in front of her until she felt his hands—his warm touch—on her face, and she looking straight up into his eyes, his hand wiping away her fallen tears.

"I can't promise you much of anything, because I don't know what will or won't happen. I leave that to be in itself. But what I can promise you is that I will never lay a hand on you. I promise I will never hurt you like they have," he told her sweetly, but it was nearly impossible for her to move on, to slip into happiness and peace without that constantly roaming through her mind. Her guard was always up, because it wasn't just her that she needed to protect. She had to think about Sophia's safety, her sanity, and everyone else around her. Without saying anything else, he planted a soft kiss on her lips, and the two of them just stood there on the roof in each other's arms, not speaking a word, but listening to the sweet silence of the day, listening to the wind blow and whisper around them in approval, listen to the slowly falling rain, listen to the warmth of their own beating hearts, and just listening…to anything, everything, anything that would tell them what they needed—wanted—to hear….

* * *

_"I am watching the rise and fall of my…salvation. There's so much shit around me, such a lack of compassion…." _

"Alright, Korn or Disturbed?"

"Korn, hands down. I lost interest in Disturbed a while back. Evanescence or Within Temptation?"

"Evanescence. Tool or Nirvana?"

"That's a trick one. I like them both."

"Alright, well if you had to pick the best out of them both."

"I'd still pick both. They kick ass hard-core."

"You can't do that. You have to pick one."

"Well, who made that rule?"

"I did."

"That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair, love."

"I'm still picking both, and you can't do anything to change that, Christopher."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Guess again!"

"No! Don't!"

Alli let out a high-pitch laugh/scream as the illusionist pounced on her, tackling her and sending her down on her back on the floor. She was still laughing, though her face turned a deep red with him pinning her to the ground, his nose nuzzling into her neck just beneath her chin like some crazed wolf, his arms wrapped around her chest, with his knees caging in her fighting legs from kicking him.

"Criss! Criss, stop!"

"No! Say it! Say it!" he spoke to her defiantly, bringing his mouth from her neck to meet her eyes, and there was a dark, yet playful look in his dark eyes, the cunning smile crossing his lips.

"NO! HA HA!" Alli couldn't hold her laugh in when his fingers prodded into her back, sending ticklish shivers through her entire body. He found this information to be exciting, and so he continued to prod his fingers in multiple spots from behind her back, and she let out a shrill laugh, trying to push him off her. He was too strong, though—which wasn't a bad thing.

"Say it! Say it, Allison!" he commanded of her, continuing this irritating action of tickling her, until she gave in.

"Alright! Alright! Nirvana!" she screamed to the heavens, and that playful smile of his broadened. He released her and crawled off of her, but she laid there on her back, giggling and laughing from this playfulness that the two of them had. She had never played like this with any of her other boyfriends. It was a nice change to her complicated life. It made her forget about all the madness she had endured.

"_I feel the reason as it's leaving me. No, not again. It's quite deceiving as I'm feeling the flesh make me bad…_."

"Okay, my turn. 12 Stones or P.O.D.?"

"P.O.D. I've never even heard of 12 Stones. Lifehouse or Nickelback?"

"Criss!"

"You have to choose, love."

"I can't choose between those two! They're both amazing!"

"You have to."

"No, I won't do it!"

"Fine! That's fine with me!"

Alli let out another scream as the man tackled her again, barely giving her a chance to recollect her breath and try to gather herself up, and he suffocated her in a curtain of tickling fingers and prodding nails, her screams of laughter and happiness, mixed with his sadistic chuckle, filled the room, blaring out the pounding music, and the constant, irksome sound of a ringtone playing from a device that had fallen from her body and skid under the nightstand where the music was playing from just a few feet away. The two of them were laughing hysterically, too involved in each other's presence to pay notice to this, or the flashing blue screen upon it that read "_JULIAN_."

* * *

_-Liz Comic-_

_Liz: Alright, well, that's the end of this chapter, and to answer the question that ourtruth was so kind to ask, "no that is not it. do u honestly think i would end the entire story right then and there? no my friend this is only the beginning."_

_Crys: u stole that from a movie didn't u?_

_Liz: there's a movie that has that line?_

_Crys: and several television shows in which they used that very line in many episodes, and several songs, and several widely known books, and several--_

_Liz: are u going to keep listing the items, or are you going to eventually NAME ONE OF THEM?!?!?!_

_Crys: I'm getting to it. And several poems, and several--_

_Liz: okay while Crys is going off on her little talk ::::::::Crys: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah BLAH!:::::::: I want to inform you guys that I will be revising this story completely later on to where it is no longer a fanfic but an originally wrote story. Criss Angel will not be in that version, nor will any Mindfreak/Criss Angel/A&E influence other than frequent mentions of his television show. If you guys would be interested in reading it, I'll give the link at the end of the story for you to read._

_Crys: She doesn't even know where she's taking this story._

_Liz: Yes I do! At the end I plan on having Alli--_

_Crys:::::::runs and covers Liz's mouth::::::: DON'T SPOIL IT!!!! _

_Liz:::::::muffled?????_

_FD (O.O): Liz is very appreciative that you have read this story thus far, and she hopes u will continue to do so. she would also like to request that you review this chapter and tell her what you think of it. She recently got a new phone, so it might take longer for her to update than normal._

_Liz: That's cuz I like to txt message so much!!! LMAO HAHA!!!!::::::::::txt msgs several frends:::::::_

_FD & Crys: I CAN'T BELIEVE U WERE ABOUT TO SPOIL THE STORY!!!! GET TO WORK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!_

_Liz: O.O :'(_


	18. Alli In The Illusion

Chapter XVIII: Alli in the Illusion 

The night had fallen quickly, almost too quickly, when the young woman and the famous illusionist had finally ended their crazed and childish antics in the hotel suite and had boarded a cab, being taken through the dark and busy city streets until they at last came to apartment complex. It was the man who had pulled her out of the cab, it was the man who dragged her up the steps, and, while both were laughing and giggling uncontrollably, she felt the warmth of his hand in hers when she was spun on the top of the platform, his arm immediately wrapping around her waist, and she felt her mind spin wildly when at last he stopped spinning her and she was standing still in his arms, though slightly dizzy.

"Criss! Christopher, stop!" she pleaded him, though her tone, her laugh, her smile—she was contradicting herself by her own body language. He could read her, openly, clearly, and he loved everything he was seeing, as it only fueled his desire to play with his new little toy.

"I'm just…I'm happy for you. You left him, and do you know what that means?" he asked of her, but when she read his smile, she read it incorrectly, and this definitely left her misreading his words.

"That I'm single?" she asked him like a child, and he only laughed at her words. She was showing her innocent side—or as Sam so thoughtfully referred to it, her "_virginity_."

"That, and…it leaves me to chase after you," he winked at her and his words left her face flowing deep red. She bowed her head, trying to hide it, but he started laughing even more, and he went as far as to point this out. "You're blushing! Oh my God, you're blushing!"

"No, I'm not!" she yelled at him in argument and shame, turning her head away, trying to shield her face behind a curtain of her strawberry blond hair, but this didn't help.

"Yeah, you are! You're so cute when you blush!" Criss leaned over to pinch her cheek—only to make her blush more—and although she tried to pull away, he grabbed a firm hold of her left cheek and gave it a hard pull between his thumb and forefinger.

"OW!" she yelped out just as he released her, and although he laughed, she was left rubbing the side of her face, in pain, but inside…she was smiling. "You're such a jerk!"

"That's what you say," he teased her, and she smiled—the pain in her cheek was there for only a moment before it subsided, unlike the bruises and contusions that would frequently form on her face and the pain would be there for days. She leaned into him, and the two of them both knew what was about to happen. The gap between their bodies seemed to close in, and she placed her hands on his shoulders just to steady herself as she rose up on her feet an inch or so, bringing her face closer to his, and just as her lips barely brushed his when—

"EW! GROSS!"

At once the two of them pulled away to see two figures standing in the doorway of the apartment, the one that had spoken was a young child with long ebony hair and sparkling emerald eyes, while her companion, the tall dark red-head they all knew and loved, was grinning cunningly, like a fox, at the two of them. But their attention was on the little girl, who had spoken so bluntly about that showing of affection.

"Allison, you weren't going to kiss him, were you?!" Sophia cried out, and although all three adults wanted to crack up laughing at how adorable and sweet the child was, they realized that in order to handle the situation, they had to maintain their somewhat pleased and entertained composure.

"Pretty Sophie, you don't want me to kiss him?" Alli asked of her little cousin, whose face was contorted in an adorable expression of disgust.

"No! Kissing is gross!" she responded back.

"But I want to kiss him," the younger woman loved to play with this child, but she found that Sophia, however adorable she was, was still just a child who saw "_kissing_" and "_boys_" merely forces of "_cooties_," which, at the age of eight, was just as bad to them as AIDS and HIV were to adults.

"Well, can I kiss her?" Christopher asked of the child, and she shook her head in defiance.

"No!"

"What about on the cheek?"

"No!"

"Come on, Sophia, just one kiss? On the cheek? Please?" pleaded Alli, who was just dying to say goodbye and send Sophia to bed for embarrassing her like that. Sophia, who was still glaring in disgust, finally broke her seriousness.

"Fine! _You_ can kiss him—ON THE CHEEK!" Sophia ordered, and Alli beamed at her little cousin, leaning over to kiss the man on the cheek, but just as she did, he took this opportunity to tilt his head, and just a split second before she brushed her lips against the side of his face, he replaced it with his own lips. Sophia's mouth dropped, and she yelled out—"_GROSS_!!"—but then he pulled away and winked at the woman, who was surprised, covering her mouth with her lips.

"_I'll call you_."

With that, the man turned and walked away from her, rushing down the steps, while Sophia stood in the doorway, complaining about the PDA that she had bared witness to, (Public Display of Affection).

"Ew! That is so gross! I can't believe you, Allison! You kissed him!"

Samantha broke the tension in the air with a laugh—a light, cheerful laugh. Alli felt her entire face flow red, her body trembling, and her mouth still covered by her hand, she closed her eyes and grinned proudly behind her fingers so Sophia couldn't see. This all felt like a dream, a pleasant, peaceful, wonderful dream that just seemed to pull her deeper and deeper into it. She felt like she was a princess in this dream—no, better, an angel!—and this man…this illusionist, Christopher, he was the one here to mend her wings and let her fly. She felt her body warm up to the aftershock of the kiss, and she tried not to gush up in front of her little cousin just because everything around her seemed to be nothing more than a wonderful fantasy.

"Alli?"

She looked up to see her friend smiling at her, and she smiled back. Then she looked down at the child, who was gagging out of disgust of the display of affection and admiration.

"What are you gagging at, Sophia? Pretty soon you're going to be kissing boys, too," Alli commented quickly, and the look on the child's face was absolutely priceless. It went from disgusted to shocked and terrified. Alli gestured the child into the apartment where she was instructed to get ready for bed—Alli wanted to inform Sam about her day as soon as possible. Despite the little girl's argumentative glare at her, she sulked towards her bedroom, leaving the two adults in the living room, staring at each other with brimming faces.

"So, am I to take it that the cute little display the two of you put on out there a sign that you finally broke up with that bastard and you're now with that hot, sexy man that we all love to call CRISS ANGEL?!?!?" Sam practically exploded in the living room, having screamed the man's name so loud that Alli doubted that anyone could hear her—in Alaska.

"Yes?" Alli couldn't believe that the word just slipped out so plainly and commonly out of her mouth. She would have at least been jumping around and cheering and yelling and screaming with excitement and happiness with her friend. No, when the world finally seemed to be at peace and everything seemed to be just perfect and wonderful and exciting, Alli was the only person who seemed to be calm and not even noticing the dramatic change around her. She would be the sore thumb sticking out in a sea of jeering people.

"'Yes?' You've finally broken up with that son of a bitch, and you're with this great guy who seems to worship the ground you walk on, and all you can say is 'yes'?" she criticized her friend.

"He doesn't worship the ground I walk on."

"He might as well. I mean, since the two of you met, it seems to be that he doesn't want to be anywhere unless you're there. He showed up at the fucking club the night we went!"

"He explained to me that he was heading there with his brothers."

"He offered you to sleep in his bed with him!"

"Actually, that was my fault. I didn't want to sleep alone, but I felt like I was burdening him. So, technically,_ he_ slept with _me_."

"He called you up on stage during his magic show! After that, the two of you disappeared together."

"And we came back. Trust me, that was nothing."

"I don't know. Everything that's been going on with you two seems to point towards the fact that he is totally interested in you," Sam told her friend quickly.

"How can you tell?" It was rhetorical question, Sam knew this, but this didn't mean that she wasn't going to stop glaring at her friend for even speaking such heinous words.

"Alli."

"No, I'm serious. I mean, knowing a man like Christopher, who probably has thousands upon thousands of women who idolize and admire him, he's probably one of those types of guys who likes to flirt and play on different kinds of women. How do I honestly know that he's in to me? What if I'm just another name he can add to his Bingo book of babes he's nailed when he's out on the road?" Alli suddenly realized that every word she had spoken was a poison-covered nail she was digging into her own heart, but she knew that everything she was saying, despite how hurtful it was, was the honest truth. How could she know he was interested in her for real?

"Well, let's ask him!" Sam immediately went for the phone, but Alli—who had grown a habit of keeping Sam back from certain things over their long and steady relationship of being friends for years—beat her to it, her arms outstretched as if to shield the other woman from the phone.

"If we call him up and ask him, chances are he's going to lie to us and try to deceive us. You never confront a man about being a player if he is one himself," Alli informed her friend, having gone through that experience dozens of times before when she was younger, and Sam should know this, too.

"Well, how are we supposed to figure out if he's a player or not?" Sam asked of her friend, who was only staring back in confusion and disbelief in herself that it ended up being this way with her. Her history of abusive and tormented relationships led her to doubt and become suspicious of everyone around her, even those that she desired to get close to. It was a sad truth, but as she was looking at herself in this situation, from the third person point of view—however hard it was to try and do this through a typical stubborn and biased mind—she found that when she had pulled away from the commands and dominance of past boyfriends, she was really just this little girl who was finding it hard to truly find a real relationship. In her vocabulary, after all these years, "relationship" didn't exist unless along the ways it would be followed by "pain" or "hurt" or "fear."

"I don't know. I need to think for a little bit."

With that the woman turned on her heel and walked from the living room into the hallway, and then closed the door to her bedroom behind her. Her mind was a thick fog that wouldn't clear, no matter how hard the light would shine from within. The light was dim, it was faint, so it wasn't shining enough. The warmth that used to exist inside her when she was little—an innocent child that was free from any bondage, any sin—was gone, long gone, thanks to the sins and wrath of the people who have been around her. That light that was once the innocent child's soul, was now dim, and it was going out. A simple flame upon a candle, struggling for its life as the rain poured down around it. She tried to keep that light shining, that warmth that made her live and survive, she tried to shelter it, to keep it, but it became too hard for her to bare it, too hard to keep it.

In her mind, she was listening to her own words speak from within. She heard those words over and over again. How could she say such a thing? She was only hurting herself. She was only destroying whatever bit of sanity she had left. Yet, despite her inner arguments, despite her wish to take them back, she knew…she knew it was the truth. What she said was the truth. There was always the possibility that the one that you love could end up not truly returning those very same feelings. And in the end, that person will leave you, abandon you, and will leave you to fall back into the darkness that you had worked yourself so tirelessly in order to escape….

Her mind filled with images, images that she hated and loathed with every bit of her being, but she couldn't erase them as they formed from nothing within the shadows. She saw that man…the man she had thought she had grown close to, flirting, charming, courting…kissing other women, women that weren't her, women that he probably didn't even know himself. It churned her stomach, twisted and knotted it. She couldn't believe she was doing this to herself. Why? Why was she tormenting herself like this?

_Because there was no one else to do it…. _

After a few minutes of trying to shove these thoughts out of her mind, Alli finally reasoned with herself and decided that it was time to relax and try to clear her mind by going to bed early. It had been a long time since she had tried to fallen asleep any time before midnight, and strangely enough, she knew it was probably for the best. She had a wild day, a crazy, insane day, and she knew that it was probably the stress and excitement that was causing her to think like this. She changed out of her clothes, plugged her cellphone into its charger, and fell into bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was drifting off into this peaceful world within her mind, a world that she felt herself slowly and slowly drift away into, until the string consciousness that was wrapped around her waist gave a very powerful and choking pull, and she felt her body fall forward while she was pulled violently from that dream world and back into reality. She awoke with a start, and suddenly realized that her phone, plugged into its charger on the nighstand beside her bed, was vibrating loudly. The sound of it had awoke her from that dream.

She turned over onto her side and reached for her phone. She quickly scanned the screen on the front before flipping it open, just in case it was someone else who was trying to contact her—someone she had rid her life of earlier that day, (or could it be yesterday?). She read the screen, and inside, she was warming up like as if she had stepped into a spa, and her entire body felt chills rise up and then down along her arms and spine. She took a breath, trying to maintain her calm heart, and then opened her phone to read the text message that had been sent from the man she knew had taken control of her heart.

"_U wanna go out on a REAL date_???"

* * *

_-Liz Comic-_

_Liz: Alright, I think I overdid on this chapter. _

_Crys: Yeah you kind of did. I mean, you made Alli seem like a complete depressed psycho._

_Liz: Well, that's what we call paranoia. Honestly, if I was dating Criss Angel, I think I'd be thinking the same thing. I wouldn't trust him for shit. He really is a flirt._

_Crys: This coming from a major Criss-Angel-Loyal-Fangirl here._

_Liz: Hey, I'm speaking my mind, and when you really think about it, Criss may be hot, attractive, amazing, talented, and absolutely a mind-blowing freak, I think when you look at it from reality and see how he is, I wouldn't be able to trust him. I know he probably wouldn't sleep or date other girls, but he did kiss other girls while he was with JoAnn, and he was constantly flirting. I wouldn't be able to trust him._

_Crys: I think you just totally pissed off thousands of fangirls._

_Liz: So what? I'm speaking the truth. It'd be like you trying to go out with Mario Lopez. He'd be a total flirt too. In fact, we know he's a player! He went out with that chick from "Dancing With The Stars" just because!_

_Crys: Yeah, well, he's not with her right now! And I thought I told you never to say that I like him at all!_

_Liz: But you do! You also still like Sasuke from Naruto._

_Crys: And you happen to like Envy. In fact, you're dedicating the next chapter to him, aren't you?!?!_

_Liz: No ::::::is totally lying::::::_

_Crys: Whatever. Anyways, for those of you who are reading this, it has been a long time since Liz has updated, and the reason for this is because she has been quite busy and unable to get much done. She is also struggling through writer's block--and soon to be head-trauma--and will probably update as soon as possible. The next chapter is dedicated to Envy from FMA._

_Liz: IT IS NOT!!!!!_


	19. Envy Is Beauty

Chapter 19: Envy Is Beauty

"So, you have a date today?" Sam quickly pulled the question the moment the morning came two days after her informing of the text message her best friend got one night. Needless to say, the answer to this typical question is "yes" and probably something sarcastic along the way. It was morning, but in only less than an hour, the young woman who had been pleading and begging for a break in her relationships would finally be able to go out on an actual date without worrying about being taken advantage of in the process. Her mind was still hazy with those paranoid thoughts, but she somehow found it easy to push them aside and focus on her own happiness.

Alli stood in the bathroom, brushing and trying to figure out if she should leave her strawberry blond hair that she had worked on for the past two hours straightening it down or should she put it in some sort of cute, schoolgirl kind of look. Sam stood in the doorway, talking to her, while the sound of the television could be heard from the living room, Sophia watching the cute and tween-popular show called Hannah Montana. A song started playing that totally made the young woman's spirits lift—a song by Billy Ray Cyrus called "Get Ready, Get Set, Don't Go." As Alli was finally deciding to leave her hair straight as it was, she finished up by applying a layer of clear lip-gloss, eyeliner, and a soft shade of gold eye-shadow to her lids before she finally stepped out of the bathroom and spun for her friend happily.

"You look cute," Sam told her. She pouted at the red haired woman, as that wasn't the response she wanted to hear.

"I wasn't going for cute. I was going for maybe hot, or sexy?" they were words she wanted to hear so badly. She wanted to feel sexy, she wanted to feel hot. After all, she was competing against hundreds of beautiful and obsessive fan-girls that were probably willing to give their soul to be with the man she was about to go out on a date with.

She had been dying for this day to come ever since she got that text message one night, and felt her heart flutter excitedly inside. She felt as if she was dancing on a cloud, and she was waiting for her prince to join her. She had talked to him a few times since then, and although those calls were mostly made to discuss where they were going, what day they were going, what time, and so on, they seemed to turn into so much more. She literally found herself giggling at whatever he said, even if it wasn't supposed to be funny. She found herself thinking about him a lot, and whenever she found herself talking about him—that was constantly to whomever was around, despite their annoyance and unwillingness to listen—she felt like her mind was floating on a cloud, just coming closer and closer to where he waited for her. She was so excited for this date, she had even raided her best friend's closet to find something that would fit with the evening and make her look appealing. So far, what she had absolutely fallen in love with was what she was wearing, and she was hoping that he would fall in love with it, too. It was a blouse that Sam hadn't worn in years, but Alli had always loved it, it was a low-cut, vertically striped black and white, long-sleeve shirt that fell loosely around the arms, but seemed to accentuate more of the chest and less of the of the waist. Her bottoms were a pair of black jeans that she always loved ever since she had bought them years back, and it was incredible that they were actually a bit loose on her. They were of loose denim material, but they had golden studs along the back pockets and golden seams along the sides. They were cute, and with her favorite pair of black heels—just low enough to where they were going to bruise her heels or make her trip in them, but just high enough to add a sense of sexiness to her—she felt as if she was going to a club rather than on a date. Her friend Sam looked her over, and in one beaming smile, she told her everything she needed to hear, everything that she wanted to hear. The two girls had been friends for so long, it seemed that they could read each other's minds in an instant without ever saying anything.

Alli walked away from her friend and through the hallway, she walked into her room to retrieve her wallet and cellphone. She looked around at the four walls, decorated in lame posters and pictures of favorite bands and celebrities—Lifehouse, Evanescence, Three Days Grace, Orlando Bloom, Nickelback, Johnny Depp, etc.—and everything just seemed to be all new to her. That was how she was going to be looking on the world today. Everything was new to her. The sunlight streamed into the room from behind the closed curtains of the open window, lighting it to where a peaceful, almost innocent nature existed. It seemed that this room wasn't that of a twenty-one-year-old, but rather the bedroom of a teenage girl, starting off new in this wild world. Her wings had at last spread, and she was ready to take flight into that new world that lingered just beyond the limits of imagination.

Getting lost in her own thoughts, she gathered up her things that laid on her bed, and she headed out towards the living room where the little girl sat on the floor, sitting right in front of the television—despite the hundreds of times the women have told her not to.

"Pretty Sophie, don't sit so close. You'll wreck your eyes." Okay, hundred and one times.

The child looked up, and the moment she did, the older cousin saw the pain, the loneliness within those emerald green eyes. The innocent one leaped to her feet, and lunged at her, throwing her arms around the older woman's waist, as if becoming an ornament that had permanently placed itself on her body. Tears streamed down the adolescent's face as she clung to this body, and both adults looked at each other, surprised, even, that she would act this way.

"Please, Allison, don't leave me! Please, don't go! I'll be good, I promise! Don't go!" the child cried, and the woman's heart broke at the sound of those cries. What was going through this little girl's mind? Was she actually thinking that she would leave?

"Sophia, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going on a date. Did you think that I was leaving for good?" she kneeled down to the child's height, and saw the answer in those sparkling, graceful eyes. Everything about this youth made her heart break, made her want to cry and just hold her. And that's what she did. She embraced the little girl around the neck, holding her close. No matter what people said or think about this, Sophia was always going to be seen as her child, no matter what happens.

"Pretty Sophie, I'm only going to be gone for a couple of hours. You have nothing to worry about," she assured the child.

"But…you were spending so much time out a couple days ago! And…you spend the night at so many other places! I thought you were leaving!" Sophia cried, her tears falling onto the woman's revealed chest. Alli leaned down and kissed the top of the girl's head, feeling her heart sob even more for her. It could be understood why should would think that, though? But one thing was definitely certain….

"Sophia, if I was leaving, I'd take you with me. I'd never go anywhere without you."

The child pulled away, tear-filled eyes, and looked up into the older cousin's storm gray eyes. There was so much pain in those eyes, but she knew it was only due to fear and anxiety of events that have happened in the past few weeks. There was no doubt about it. Sophia had been exposed to the world her older cousin had been trying to shelter her from, and this was the result.

"Really?"

"Really. I love you, Sophia."

"I love you, too, Alli."

The two girls embraced, but within the older woman's mind, there was some concern. Was this really the right thing to do? She felt that she could be threatening this little girl's lifestyle and mental state by going out with this other man. She had been trying to teach her that love would last forever, but Sophia had been raised to think that she and Julian were in love. That was not only a contradicting fact, but it was also quite dangerous to keep that man around, which would lead to this little child walking in on Julian possibly trying to rape her again. She couldn't have that happen. That would take away the innocence she had been filled with, and possibly even traumatize her. She knew Christopher wouldn't do anything like that, but a part of her couldn't help but hold concern….

* * *

"Wow."

"What?"

"Wow."

"Is that all you can say? 'Wow'?"

"Yes."

"You're such a jerk."

"Ouch, that hurt."

Alli found herself beaming uncontrollably when she stepped out of the cab and found herself almost literally falling over the man, having grabbed his arm when she tripped over the curb and just narrowly avoided looking like a ditz and a klutz if she had hit the ground on their first date. Not a good first impression, but this man already knew her for a couple of weeks, so it didn't seem to make much of a difference. The man only laughed at this scene, but when her hand wrapped around his arm, it seemed that this moment just faded into the memories in the back of their minds. It was so beautiful, the feeling that she experienced the second she stepped onto the street, her hand on his arm, his smile warming her entire body, her heart pounding loud in her head. She was so nervous, she was gushing red, but she felt relaxed at the same time.

"So, shall we go?" she asked him, and he nodded as he led her into the elegant Italian restaurant—no, not Olive Garden—and at once, the host noticed them. He was a tall man with heavily thick Italian accent, and he nodded when he saw them.

"Are you…" he quickly looked down at his podium. "Eh…Senior Sarantakos?"

"Yes," the man whose arm she clung to answered, and the host led them away towards a table positioned just perfectly in front of a beautiful crafted window. Outside one could see the cars rolling by on the streets, but you could also see the park lingering just across the street, the same park that she felt she would never forget due to their own experience just a few days ago. She found herself blushing red at the thought of it, but what was even more embarrassing was when the moment the host laid down their menus and walked away after calling after a waiter, the man she was sitting across from seemed to practically jump over the table between them, and his lips took possession of hers very aggressively.

She didn't know how to respond, but she loved this strange, spontaneous outburst of affection. His lips were so soft against hers, so loving, and she felt her entire body warm, like as if she had stepped into a hot bath. The warmth was so invigorating, so intoxicating, and she felt her body give into it, submitting itself to the aggressive taste of his mouth. She felt her body shiver slightly, but he didn't allow her to break away. He kept pressing for more, and he even went as far as to physically bite her lip, but the moment he did, he sent a new life of pain through her, and she broke away, sighing from the soreness that erupted from within the layers of her mouth. She pulled back, and it almost made her core sink a little at the look of disappointment in the opposite man's face.

"I'm sorry," she muttered softly, feeling her face flow red. She felt like a child, becoming embarrassed after a quite public display of affection, even though she was the one pressuring for a kiss in front of her eight-year-old cousin and best friend in front of their apartment door. Christopher merely shrugged, but he traced the lining of his lips with one finger playfully.

"I missed it," he told her softly, and she perked an eyebrow, curious as to what he meant. He saw the look, and he beamed at her from behind his index finger. "How they taste. I missed the taste of your lips. So sweet, like strawberries."

She knew he only said that just to make her blush, and it worked. She bowed her head, feeling her cheekbones flare with hot white flames, and she actually felt as if her eyes would fog due to the embarrassment and shyness she was presenting.

_"…You're so cute when you blush!"_

"What are you thinking?"

She found herself looking up, her silver eyes fogging, becoming like storm clouds, but this time, there was no storm in her mind, not in her world. Only peace, happiness, and the calm tranquility that her world would give her. Only with him could she seem to be able to find that peace she so longed for so many years….

"Nothing," she lied to him, feeling herself grow guilty of making this lie, but she didn't have to wear that hideous mask anymore. She didn't have to hide anything anymore. Everything that was such a heavy burden for her seem to be lifted, and she was merely dancing on a cloud with this man. She didn't really have to say anything, because he seemed to know everything for her.

A waiter came shortly, requesting their orders. Alli had no idea what half the stuff on the menu said, or what it really was, so she was really embarrassed to ask for a plate of lasagna, and the waiter gave her a weird look. Christopher chuckled a little, but he ended up doing the exact same thing—_ordering something else, of course_—and the waiter merely sulked away, leaving the two "_lovebirds,_" as he so mentioned, alone. A moment passed, a moment of silence, but not the uncomfortable silence of not knowing what to say, but more of the familiar silence of not needing to say anything. It was then that the woman, who had found a new confidence in herself over the past couple of days, looked up, and the man sitting across from her, the illusionist, reached over the table, his hand held out, and a strange expression on his face, his dark eyes flittering under the light of the restaurant.

"Let me see your hand," he ordered of her, but softly. She didn't know what was going through his mind, but she laid her hand softly over his. This wasn't what he wanted, as she found this out when he grabbed that very hand with his other, and flipped it over to where her palm could be seen under the burning light.

A sudden feeling of anxiety rushed inside her, as his free hand slipped down over her sleeve, having seen a brief glimpse of what it was hiding, and he slid the sleeve of the shirt down along her forearm, revealing a clearly visible scar just across diagonally on her wrist. He looked at it, examining it deeply, and she found that she might as well explain to him what the motive behind that scar was. He didn't have to say anything. She already knew what he was thinking, what he was about to ask.

"It's from when I was eighteen. Someone close to me died…I thought I was going to be alone forever…so I tried to…well…" she allowed her sentence to fall away, and he looked up to meet her eyes. She didn't feel like crying. She had no reason to. She had dealt with this tragedy many times over, yet it still seemed to bother her to this day. She wasn't so emotional anymore. She wasn't afraid of telling him everything. He needed to know if he was going to pursue a relationship with her. She found it so much harder to hide things from him, anyways. "I lost someone dearly close to me."

"Oh…" he said this softly, mournfully, as he pulled the sleeve back up to cover the scar. "Do you still miss him?"

"Everyday. I can't stop thinking about him. I loved him so much, I actually felt that the only reason I had to live was to make him happy," she told him softly. Her eyes burned with rising tears. She couldn't get upset now, but from the look on the magician's face, she realized she was upsetting him, if anyone.

"Why are you here, then, if you're not over him?" he sounded irritable, harsh, even. She smiled at him, knowing that he had misinterpreted what she was saying. Many people saw it as that way. Sam did when the news was brought forth to her, but Sam seemed to catch on quicker than anyone else.

"Because I know that he would be happy that I was here…with you. I know he wouldn't mind, he loved me that way," she smiled at him, and she pulled her hand away, only to rest in on top of his own tense and clenched fist. "That's how I knew my father."

"Your father?"

The look on the forty-year-old man's face was absolutely priceless. Shock, surprise, perhaps shame and embarrassment, but it was all a classic look of having been tricked and made to believe something, just like how he had tricked thousands of other people before. He bowed his head, and she couldn't help but grin. She wondered if he, himself, was blushing from what she had led him to believe.

"Who did _you_ think I was talking about?" she teased him, but he didn't answer. He couldn't. He was lost in his own mind, trying to think of how to recover from this sudden revealing of his own imperfections of being simply human. She couldn't help but giggle, but just to put him out of his suffering, she leaned over the table, and without him being able to react, she pressed her lips against his, gently kissing him, but giving enough passion just to tell him everything, without saying anything to him. When she pulled away, she teased him by trailing her fingers along the side of his face playfully, just as she pulled back.

"Christopher, my father was the most important man in my life. But, after three years, I think I've managed to deal with his death and move on. Sophia's a good example of that," she told him. "I'm not allowing things like that slow me down in the process of life. After all, nothing seemed to have slowed you down, has it?"

His smile warmed her again, and she found that it was much easier to talk to him when his eyes had risen and found hers. There was a moment that the world seemed to spun away from them in a colorful blur, and all that remained was the adoration, the tender that left them drifting within that peaceful Eden of theirs. They didn't say anything more even when the entrees came, or when the desert finally came. The rest of the evening was spent in absolute silence, no need to speak, for through fictional telepathy, they already knew what they were thinking, and there was no need to explain further. The next time the two of them did speak, though, was when they were leaving their table. Alli, being her own clumsy self, couldn't step from between the table and booth without practically falling over herself. Needless to say, her knight-in-shining-armor was there to catch her, but not before her wallet seemed to slip out from in her pocket and fell to the ground, flipping open, and revealing not only the collage of photographs, but a small piece of paper flew out from within the darkened chambers of the leather accessory. Christopher beamed at his clumsy princess, and he leaned down to retrieve her item, only to pick up the paper that had fallen. At once, the entire atmosphere of the date changed, and he stood up, using a false smile as he handed her wallet to her, only to slip the paper into his back pocket to confront her about later. With a hidden agenda in mind, he escorted her out of the fancy Italian restaurant—having paid the bill within fifteen minutes before—and allowed her to step into the taxi where they rolled away. The moment the taxi pulled up in front of the proverbial apartment complex, he stepped out, allowing her to follow, but the moment the small yellow car practically swerved beyond the streets, he grabbed her arm—gently, of course—and directed her towards the edge of the walkway near the bushes, and it was there that he turned to her and the look on his face was one of unrecognizable and unfamiliar indulgence in something.

"What's wrong?" she asked of him, and suddenly, her body started trembling with apprehension, as if she had done something wrong and he knew about it.

"Nothing's wrong. I just want to know something…" a playful smile toyed on his lips as he reached into his pocket, and retrieved that paper that had fallen out of her wallet at the restaurant. He looked down at it, while anxiety and fear thrilled in this young woman's veins, but when he finally decided to put her troubling heart at rest, he flipped it over in his hands to show that the item that had fallen out of her wallet was a photograph that was all too familiar to her eyes. A precious photograph that was at one time guarded and protected behind plastic shields that were provided by her wallet, a photograph that she peered at frequently for strength, support, and the longing desire for affection that one might come upon and see when staring at someone who was close to them. It was nothing more than a small, wallet-size picture of the little girl with long ebony hair and graceful, sparkling, yet innocent green eyes that seemed to glimmer and fill with happiness and delight, but at the same time, one who knew these eyes particularly, knew that within those eyes laid the darkened shadows of sorrow and confusion that a child of that age should not experience. She looked from the picture, a soft smile breaking the tension in her face, and tilted her gray, rain eyes towards the black eyes of the man who seemed to sweep her off her feet.

"What do you want to know?" she asked of him, knowing that whatever question he had was probably not going to bother her much. He beamed at her, which interested her in so many ways.

"I know you love this little girl—"

"'Love' doesn't cover it, Criss," Alli corrected him instantly, and he looked at her softly, as if he knew that she was going to say that. Was he really so in-sync with her that he knew what she was about to say?

"I know. Sometimes I envy her," Alli was curious as to why he would say this, but before she could speak, he continued his sentence. "I envy her, because she has you all the time. She has your love completely, and she lives in a world that is pure and innocent. I envy her for so many things, but I don't want to take those things away from her. I don't want to take you away from her."

"You're not going to," was that the wrong thing to say? She didn't know. She couldn't help herself but say it. It was the truth. There was nothing in this world that could rip her from Sophia's side. Absolutely nothing in this world, not even her own happiness. Sophia was the most important thing to her. No one else mattered as much in the end, because in the end, only Sophia would be there to welcome her crying soul home.

"But…how come you're the one taking care of her now? You never told me what happened, how she became your custody. If we're going to build this relationship, I'd rather I know everything about your life beforehand," he told her. Unfortunately, this was something Alli did not want to explain. Not only was it a long story, it was a heart-breaking one, and sometimes those kinds of stories were best left kept up and locked away for all eternity. A voice in her head was telling her not to say anything, not to tell this man anything.

What happens if you two break-up? That means that he'll know everything, and he'll have the power to take advantage of it in the future. Do you really want to put Sophia through that kind of pain? That would wreck her life. Don't do it!

Her heart was telling her something completely different. How come it was that when the opinions of the heart and mind came together, it was nothing but a conflicting war between them both? Alli had to make a decision. She wanted Christopher in her life, but she didn't want to put Sophia through that kind of trauma if they did break-up.

"It's a long story," she told him, suddenly realizing that it wasn't a good excuse, but maybe it was enough to get him off the topic.

"We have time," he replied to her, determined and stubborn. Just like her.

"But I'm cold, and I really should make sure that Sophia isn't driving Sam insane, and I have a ton of homework I have to do for school, and—" Alli was just listing excuse after excuse as she made her way from him towards the staircase, but as she did, he followed her, and just as she was about to walk up the steps, he firmly grabbed her arm, and she frozen in her action. Her entire body filled with a chill, and she felt her body go numb in his touch—which was ironic, considering as he made her feel warm and safe.

"Alli, be honest with me. Do you want to tell me?"

Her heart seemed to stop a little at the sound of disappointment—and shame?—in the man's voice as he spoke, and she felt as if she had let him down. She stepped off the steps, and was forced to turn around to him, try to figure out just what exactly to say to him and explain everything to him without saying everything.

"No," she sighed softly. She had said this much, she might as well saying everything. "I don't want to hurt Sophia. I don't want to put her through such trauma if I do tell you. What happens if I do tell you, and eventually we break-up? You'll know everything about me…and her…."

"And you think I'm going to use it against you?" There was hate in his voice, anger, rage, something, but it wasn't pleasure, it wasn't happiness. He was upset with her. She could read it in those beautiful dark eyes of his. She wanted to look away, to break from the burning glare that was being given from those mesmerizing pools, but she couldn't. He had her frozen in her place, paralyzed, unable to move, and he was suddenly her puppet master—just like so many men before him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, but he apparently didn't hear her.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I got involved with you if you honestly think I'm that kind of person," Criss was majorly upset with her, clenching his fist that held the photograph in it. They both had become oblivious to the fact he still had it. He started to storm off back to the street, while she tailed after him quickly.

"Christopher, wait!"

"You know what, forget it, Allison!" he turned on his heel with lightning reflexes, and he glared at her so intensely. Why is it that she always repels the right men, while the other jerks always seem to be the ones she's attracted? "I don't care anymore! If you honestly think that I'm the kind of jerk that will use you—the kinds of jerks you seem to be prone to—then maybe we shouldn't be together! After all, I am only looking out for your best interest! See you later!"

Before she could even say anything, he was running off towards the street, and she almost fell to her knees on the sidewalk, paralyzed, and disbelief filling her entire being. She couldn't believe she was so stupid. She had just chased off the one man that hadn't used, abused, or degraded her in any way. She had chased him off. If there was a God out there, he took great pleasure and entertainment in her misery, in her sorrow. She hadn't realized it at the moment, but as she remained there, unable to move, waterfalls were streaming from her face, and they burned her skin fiercely, blinding her silver eyes, and in her mind, she was screaming out of agony.

_I SHOULD DIE! NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE ME! I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE ALONE! SOMEONE, PLEASE, KILL ME!_

* * *

_-Liz Comic-_

_Liz: Hey! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update! I've been really busy, and then add to it, I haven't been really motivated to finish this story. I think it's because of my stupid habit of starting a story, then getting the idea for another, and not going back to finish the first one. I'm really sorry._

_Crys: That's not true. She's just lazy!_

_Liz: SHUT UP!_

_Crys: Admit it! It's because of that stupid writer's block! That's why you don't have anything done for student convention!_

_Liz: Not true! I do have things done!_

_Crys: Short Story?_

_Liz: Done! Sent that in two months ago._

_Crys: Poem?_

_Liz: Done! Sent that in, too._

_Crys: Essay?_

_Liz: Same._

_Crys: Pictures?_

_Liz: Developed and framed._

_Crys: Dramatic Monologue?_

_Liz:opens mouth, then closes it:_

_Crys: What was that?_

_Liz: Nothing._

_Crys: You don't have it done, do you?_

_Liz: Yeah, I'm just...trying to figure out what to base it on._

_Crys: You don't have it done._

_Liz: SHUT UP! Can you blame me? My muse just up and vanished, now nothing inspires me anymore._

_Crys: Why not take a monologue from this story?_

_Liz: The rules won't let me. Has to be...:rummages through a box full of papers, then pulls out "DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE RULES AND GUIDELINES":...Ah, here we go._

_Crys: What does it say?_

_Liz:in old lady voice: "Must have a theme of spiritual, inspirational, biblical, historical, or of a Christian influence." They basically say the same thing five times over._

_Crys: Oh._

_Liz: Yep! So I can't do a monologue on MISS ALLISON BAKER!_

_Crys: That sucks...Well, you could do one on me._

_Liz: Yeah, and what am I supposed to say? "MY SISTER IS A FREAKIN' SLUT, AND I THINK WHAT MAKES IT SO MUCH WORSE IS THE FACT SHE DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE TO PURSUE A BOYFRIEND THAT DUMPED HER A MONTH LATER?" Yeah, I'm sure that'll win me the award._

_Crys:tearry eyed and starts to cry:_

_Liz: Oh no...I'm so cruel..._

_Alli 0.0: Well, as you can see, even writers can't seem to say the right thing around certain people. Liz promises to have the next chapter up real soon, preferably before the week is out. If she doesn't, she does promise to get one up soon._

_Summary of Next Chapter (Title: "Never Too Late"):_

_Could this be the end of Alli and Criss? They barely even had begun! What kind of secret is Alli hiding from him? And how does it involve Sophia? Basically, a typical soap-opera kind of summary, but you get the idea._

_Liz: Oh, by the way, I'm working on some art work for this story. I haven't posted any up just yet, but I will, and when I do, I'll let you know. I can't draw Criss Angel, but the guy in those drawings will be an original character when this story is revised. Peace!_


End file.
